


Thirsty

by agentBees



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumbleby - Freeform, Cute, F/F, Fluff, Funny, White Rose - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:01:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23011423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentBees/pseuds/agentBees
Summary: An exploration of thirst and longing. Takes place before S3.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 42
Kudos: 247





	1. What Does It Mean?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! It's been forever and a day since I wrote fic, but I came up with an idea for a series of shorts that I found entertaining and thought that they would be worth sharing. Hints of WhiteRose, and definite Bumbleby flirting.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby gets frustrated by terms she doesn't know. The others enlighten her. Weiss finds it adorable.

Ruby Rose pulled a chair over and sat down in front of Weiss with a huff. She looked completely disgruntled in the most adorable way possible. Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. Frustration and confusion reflected in her silver eyes, and her arms were crossed in a defensive manner. Weiss hid a smile, instead schooling her face into a concerned frown.

“What’s wrong, Ruby? You look like someone cheated you out of your last cookie.”

The younger woman scoffed. “Good luck to anyone trying that. No, Weiss. This has nothing to do with food.”

Leaning closer with some concern, Weiss studied her partner for any clues as to what was bothering her.

“So what is it? What’s got you all bothered?”

Ruby was silent. She stared at Weiss as if weighing if the other girl was the right person to speak to about her concern.

“Weiss…”

“Yes, Ruby?”

The anticipation was starting to get to Weiss. She had developed a certain amount of patience when dealing with her partner’s quirks, but this was starting to stretch on long enough to both try her patience and raise some concern.

“What does ‘thirsty’ mean?”

A long moment of silence passed. The white haired woman felt like her brain had just encountered an error message.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Thirsty! What does it mean to be thirsty?” Ruby leaned closer to Weiss, watching her carefully.

Finally able to blink, Weiss felt her brain functions restarting. “To be parched, dry, in need of water. Do I have to go on? What kind of a question is that, Ruby? I know you have a decent vocabulary. You read.”

The surreal moment was interrupted by the door opening to admit the rest of their team, Yang and Blake. The tall women were laughing about something as they stepped into the room. Yang flashed a smile at them. Noticing Ruby’s posture, Yang paused in her trek toward her bunk. “Hey guys, what’s going on?”

“Ruby’s just asking weird questions,” Weiss replied with a huff.

“Like ‘do they really use a shrink ray to pack full flavor into that candy’ or ‘what are the statistical odds of the meatloaf killing a first year versus the grimm in the Forever Fall Forest taking them out’?” asked Blake.

The youngest member of the team took in a deep breath. Turning to Blake and Yang with a serious expression, she posed the question again. “What does it mean to be thirsty?”

Yang cocked her head to peer at Ruby. “You mean, like, for a drink of water?”

Ruby’s face fell. “No, not like that! There has to be another meaning.”

Stepping closer to Ruby, Blake briefly touched her shoulder. “Why do you ask?”

“Because some boy said something to Nora about being thirsty, and she got so mad that she punched him out of the food hall through the ceiling. Then she dragged Ren with her and stormed out. Professor Goodwitch was headed there when I left. She was muttering something about always having to fix property damage and maybe letting it go just once. So we might just end up with a new skylight in there.” Ruby pondered the possible modification to her view of the ceiling.

A loud laugh erupted from Yang. She quickly covered her mouth, but the tension was broken. Blake chuckled. Even Weiss rolled her eyes and looked amused. “Well, he’s not wrong,” she said dryly.

“You guys!! Come on, you have to explain this to me! Please,” Ruby complained, dragging the last word out into a whine. She was back to being distraught in her confusion.

Blake took pity on her team leader. “Ruby, have you ever heard the phrase he or she’s a ‘tall glass of water?’”

A frown replaced the look of confusion for a moment. “Yeah. It’s a weird saying.”

“It means they’re hot!” Yang piped in. Ruby just blinked at her.

“Like sweaty…?”

“No, little sister. Hot. Attractive. Good-looking.” Yang barely stopped herself from glancing at Blake. “Tempting.”

Understanding dawned on Ruby’s face. “Oh! That makes more sense now. I always thought it was weird to call someone something so boring. Who cares about water, anyway?” 

Yang and Blake shared a look about how precious Ruby was when it came to certain things. Just to drive the point home, Blake continued to enlighten the girl. “So if someone is ‘thirsty’ for a particular person, it means they really want that ‘glass of water’.” The dark haired woman waited a beat to see if the girl was following. Ruby’s face slowly turned pinker until her face was trying to match her red cloak.

“Oh. I see. He was talking about Ren, wasn’t he?”

All three women nodded. Ruby drooped in her chair, both embarrassed and relieved. How was she supposed to know these things?

Weiss suddenly leaned forward and squeezed Ruby in a hug. Ruby was so startled that she let out a little squeak.

“You are so adorable. Don’t change, Ruby.” Weiss just couldn’t help herself. Ruby was still bright red and might stay that way as long as Weiss’s arms were around her.

The other two watched on in surprise. Weiss had thawed considerably over their time as a team, but random hugs were still a rarity. Stepping back, Blake leaned toward Yang. In a whisper that was barely audible, she commented to Yang “do you think someone else is thirsty?”

Yang’s head snapped toward Blake with a look of horror. Blake couldn’t help it. Despite desperately trying to hold it in, a giggle escaped from her lips. A few more spilled forth. Yang just looked mortified. It was so precious. Blake wrapped her arms around her partner and repeated Weiss’s words. “You are so adorable. Don’t change, Yang.”

“You’re a terrible person,” came in Yang’s muffled voice. The giggles couldn’t be held in anymore. Full, melodious laughter flowed from the the normally stoic faunus.

“Love you, too.”


	2. You're Ridiculous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang loves seeing Blake happy. She uses lots of puns to get her to laugh. Cute Bumbleby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read and leave kudos for the first part of this little experiment of mine! It really made my day. This part has a lot of Yang puns, so be prepared.

“Hey Blake, what do you call a bee that can’t make up it’s mind?”

Blake was curled up on a corner of her bunk, legs folded at her side and a book held up before her. Yang had just breezed in and sat at the other end of the bed. The faunus rolled her eyes at the cheerful blonde. She was only vaguely annoyed at the interruption to her reading. Yang’s interruptions were usually amusing enough for her to let the minor offense go. She decided to indulge her partner. “I don’t know. What do you call a bee that can’t make up it’s mind?”

Yang took a moment to get her glee under control. This one must have really amused her. She schooled her features before replying in an even voice.

“A maybe.

Blake’s only reaction was to roll her eyes. Not satisfied by such a tepid response, Yang tried again. She’d been saving a few for today.

“Coffee has a rough time in our room. It gets mugged every morning!”

The brunette lowered the book she’d been trying to read. Greeted by the beaming face of her partner, she couldn’t help but release an amused snort.

“You’re ridiculous.”

Yang frowned at her partner. “I just shared some of my best material with you and you’re not even laughing.” The normally cheerful blonde had a look of disappointment. She reached out to Blake and lightly grabbed the woman’s upper arm. “It doesn’t seem broken.”

The brunette tilted her head quizzically at that. “What are you doing?”

“Checking your humerous! Clearly, your humor has broken because my jokes are hilarious.” The blonde continued to feel up and down the arm for damage. Blake covered the hand on her arm with her own when she felt it brush against her breast. Yang had been so focused on feeling her arm up for the joke that she didn’t even notice she was inadvertently touching anything else.

“Maybe you’re just not as funny as you think you are,” Blake said with a smirk. She was proud of herself for holding in the smile that she felt in her heart whenever Yang set herself to the task of trying to make her laugh. It seemed to be one of Yang’s favorite pastimes, and it was one of the things about her partner that made Blake so fond of her.

A gasp came from Yang as her jaw dropped. She stood, hand over her heart in an overly dramatic posture of offense. “I am delightful!”

Unable to keep the smile from her face any longer, Blake relaxed and stretched her legs in front of her. “I don’t know if I’d go that far. Mildly amusing, in an oddly endearing way.”

Yang peered at her for a moment, then nodded. “I guess I’ll take that.” A very smug grin slowly took over her face. She leaned onto the bed on her knees over Blake’s legs. ”Endearing, huh? You liiiike me. Aww, Blake. You liiiike me!” She crawled slowly up to Blake while verbally teasing her partner.

Blake scoffed, and shoved at Yang with her smug smile. “Not when you’re like this, I don’t.”

“Too late! Your secret is out. No take backs!” With a satisfied smile, Yang took the book from Blake’s hands and placed it aside. She shuffled a bit closer, practically over Blake’s lap before leaning back to sit.

“You’re ridiculous,” Blake pouted.

“Hey Blake…” Yang’s voice dropped deeper and her expression turned more serious. “Whenever I undress in the bathroom… My shower gets turned on!”

A choked laugh escaped from the brunette’s mouth. Breathlessly, she coughed out “What?”

Leaning in towards Blake’s left ear, Yang’s breath tickled past her cheek. “What did the mayonnaise say when somebody opened the refrigerator? ‘Hey, close the door! I'm dressing!’”

Surprised giggles bubbled from the faunus. A blush crept up her cheeks. Her eyes widened, while a very amused smile stretched over her face. Yang gloried in it. Her favorite hobby was lightening Blake’s mood and getting her to smile. Her smile tugged at Yang’s heart in a way she had difficulty putting words to. It was a sight that she could never get enough of.

The close proximity to the attractive blonde caused a tension to build that made Blake’s throat tighten. Yang’s sexy, deepened voice, and the unexpected continuation of Yang’s jokes, set Blake’s skin on fire. She wasn’t sure if she should push her partner off her lap to lower the tension between them, or pull her closer to feed it more. Before she could make a decision, fingers lightly poked her ribs in ticklish areas to make her squirm just before Yang continued her verbal assault.

Lips brushed against her ear as Yang continued, making Blake shiver. “I wanted to take pictures of the fog this morning… But I mist my chance. I guess I could dew it tomorrow!” Yang could no longer keep the amusement out of her voice as she threw pun after pun into Blake’s ear. Her voice cracked on a laugh when the woman below her giggled louder from the twin assault of tickles and bad jokes.

“Oh my god, stop!” Blake had tears in her eyes from laughing. She tried to squirm away from Yang so that she could catch her breath. Immediately removing her fingers at her partner’s request, Yang placed her hands on Blake’s hips and leaned them both off to the side to lay on the bed. She took in the fruit of her labor: the pink flush to Blake’s cheeks, the happy shine in her eyes, breath still coming fast, a beautiful smile that reached her eyes as they gazed at Yang fondly.

A gentle smile responded to Blake’s. Happiness and affection looked back at her in Yang’s eyes. “There she is… Happy Blake. I’ve been looking for her all day.”

Blake’s smile turned shy. She snuggled into Yang to rest her head on the blonde’s chest. “You found me.” She lifted her hand and slid it over Yang’s strongly beating heart. There was something so soothing about her partner’s steady heartbeat, and the warmth of her arms as she held Blake. She’d never felt so comfortable sharing her personal space with someone before.

They both closed their eyes in contentment, enjoying the moment.

“Bad puns…it's how eye roll.”

The eye roll that Blake gave Yang was so hard that it could have caused her injury. “You had to go and ruin it.” Yang chuckled.

“Nah. You’re so relaxed you might start purring.” Yang softly kissed the top of the head pressed against her chest.

A labored sigh was the only response. Silence blanketed the dorm room. It created a space that was wholly their own. Just before they drifted off to sleep, a soft, contented voice whispered against Yang’s heart.

“You’re ridiculous. And delightful.”


	3. Just Kiss, Already!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake gets Yang hot and thirsty.
> 
> It's just tension. Don't get too excited.

Yang was distracted.

They had all received a text from Weiss that afternoon pointing out that if they hadn’t finished the essay for Port’s class, then now would be a great time to meet in the library and do so. Of course, Weiss knew that none of them had. It was her gentle push to keep them on top of assignments in a mandatory class that they all shared. Ever since her attitude change after Ruby had been designated team leader, she had been doing what she could to support her team. Her help usually came via keeping track of schedules and deadlines related to classwork. It had worked out well for all of them. No major assignments were late. They were all doing above average in every class.

Weiss and Blake had finished their essays first. Blake asked Weiss if she had gotten the new catalog from some clothing shop in town. She just happened to have it with her and lent it to Blake. Blake was leaning back in the chair next to Yang, legs crossed, and the catalog spread out on her lap.

Yang’s eyes drifted to the open pages again. Beautiful women showed off the latest swimwear all over the glossy pages. Every time Blake’s eyes lingered on a picture, Yang’s mind conjured an image of her partner wearing it. How many pages did this catalog have? It felt like she’d been browsing it for an hour. Yang’s heart rate had been elevated for long enough that she was worried she was about to begin sweating. Was it hot in the room? Her throat felt so dry. She kept trying to clear it, but could find no relief. She needed a drink in a bad way.

What was the essay about? Yang looked down at her paper. She had no memory of writing half of it. She cleared her throat again.

The next time that Yang cleared her throat, Weiss shot her an annoyed look.

“I need a drink.” Pushing her chair back, Yang rose to make a run to the vending machines.

Blake removed the catalog from her lap, and rose as well. She flashed a bright smile at the blonde. “I’ll go with you. I could use one, too.” Of course she wanted to come with her, Yang thought. There would be no relief in her escape. At least Weiss would stop shooting her death glares.

“Oh, can you grab me a chocolate milk if they have it? Please?” Ruby implored with full force puppy dog eyes. Yang couldn’t help but smile at the cuteness turned toward her.

“Sure, sis. Weiss? Do you want anything?”

“Just for you to stop clearing your throat,” she muttered. After a beat, she looked up from some gossip magazine she’d fished away from Nora that morning. “I wouldn’t be opposed to a water.”

With a nod, Yang swiftly made her way out of the building to a row of vending machines just around the corner. Blake leaned against one of the machines, watching Yang closely. She wasn’t smiling anymore. The little wrinkle between her eyebrows had appeared as she studied her partner.

“Are you ok?”

Yang fished her scroll out with a scoff. “Of course. I’m the picture of fine.” She tried to connect her scroll to the machine but the connection was slow. The blonde frowned and hit the button again.

“Are you, now?” The faunus frowned slightly. She reached a hand to Yang’s forehead, feeling the heat under her skin. Fortunately, the chilly outside air had already helped Yang to start cooling down. Her heart rate had started to return to normal, but the hand upon her skin made it pick back up. She cursed her body for the response.

She closed her eyes and drew in and out a measured breath to slow the beating of her heart. When she opened her eyes, Blake was looking at her intensely. The faunus was studying her partner closely. Every reaction was noted, weighed, and filed away. A moment later, Blake stepped in close to her. Very close. Their faces were inches apart, each breath pulled in from the other and pushed out in a hot breeze. Reaching up, Yang took the hand off of her forehead. Those amber eyes drew her in. She felt a pull like a moon to a planet. Her breath picked up. Calming her body seemed like a useless exercise.

“Because it seems to me…” Yang had no idea what they had been talking about. Blake licked her lips as if she was as parched as Yang was. “It seems like something’s got you hot and bothered.”

Blonde eyebrows shot up in surprise. Blake was usually more subtle with her teasing. Yang felt like something had just cranked her up to 11: heart banging against her chest, blood rushing, pupils widening. Had Blake noticed her reaction the whole time she paged through the catalog? Was this flirting or joking? Should she quip back with a joke or not? She normally wouldn’t hesitate, but there was something different about how Blake was standing so close and looking at her like that. A force shot through her body. Blake had done it all with intent.

Blake’s eyes glanced at her partner’s red cheeks with vague concern. “I hope you’re not coming down with something.”

She tried to swallow past the lump in her dry throat. How could her body be so devoid of moisture when she felt so damn hot? The scroll in her hand dinged to tell her that it had finally connected to the vending machine. Yang let out the breath that she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

“Please. I don’t get sick. I run too hot for that.” She tried to brush the comment off casually, but the heat she felt made her brain hazy. A smile twitched on Blake’s face. It cracked the serious tension of the moment.

“God, Yang. You feel like an open oven door. Are you trying to melt me?” Blake leaned closer, lips so close to her ear that Yang could feel them brush the soft hairs along her skin. Blake’s breath breezed against her, causing her to shiver. It did nothing to cool her down. The irony of being in the position she’d teased Blake with a couple of weeks ago was not lost on her. The voice dropped low into a smooth purr. “Because you just have to be close and look at me to do that.”

There had to be steam coming off of her body at this point. Any moment now, and her clothes would ignite. She’d be completely engulfed in flames, a pyre to the gods. Her gravestone would read “Here lies Yang Xiao Long. Beloved daughter and sister. Felled by whispered words of passion and a thirst so strong that it only took a spark.”

They both heard a strangled sound that wasn’t quite a moan. It took a moment for Yang to realize that it had come from her. What was this pressure that she felt? Every hair on her body felt like it was standing on end and reaching for the beauty before her. She had never experienced such fierce longing for anyone. It was too much. She didn’t know what to do with it.

This time, it was Blake’s turn to look surprised. She took a step back. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make your eyes change.” Her face reflected her chagrin and a slight worry that she may have pushed too far.

The air between them did more to cool Yang down than anything. She gulped in a couple of breaths to calm herself. Really, the speed at which she went from 0 to 100 was ridiculous. She knew she was attracted to Blake, but she’d never been turned on so quickly. The whole catalog tease must have worked her up way more than she thought.

Yang brought her scroll up. She tried to focus on the screen that listed the drink options. “I wasn’t expecting that, either,” she mumbled, referring to all of it. She was too flustered to make a witty reply. If she didn’t have something to drink immediately she felt like she was going to die. Her thumb increased the number of waters. She needed enough to fill a tub.

“What do you want, Blake?” She asked about the drink order, but didn’t say anything to clarify the question. It was valid on multiple levels.

 _“You,”_ her eyes said. _“If you’ll have me.”_ Instead, her mouth replied “Iced green tea, if they have it.” Yang closed her eyes and took in a calming breath. Her body heat was dissipating, but her heart rate was still up. She didn’t want to have a conversation right now. It was too much.

The drinks were being dropped into the open cache at the bottom. Blake reached for them first. There were more than she expected. How many bottles did Yang order? There was another set lowering once she’d filled her arm with the first. She put them on the ground to wait for all their companions to arrive.

Yang reached in to grab a cold bottle of water. She cracked the cap off and guzzled the whole bottle with desperation. She felt dry as parchment paper. Her bones were brittle. Every moment without water brought her closer to turning to sand and blowing away on the wind. Wasn’t it chilly out here a minute ago? When did her senses throw her into the middle of the Vacuo desert?

The faunus didn’t try to hide her stare as her partner gulped down water like it was the only thing that could keep her alive in that moment. Beads of sweat had formed on the blonde’s skin. A few of them trailed down her neck. They glided from one side down along the muscles to her clavicle. Several more drops followed a similar path. Watching Yang drink was making Blake thirsty in a very uncomfortable way. She felt her throat tighten with the sudden dryness. Which drink was hers? Had it come out yet? She needed a cold bottle of something immediately.

Yang brought the bottle down from her lips just in time to notice that Blake’s pupils were wide as they watched her. The faunus stepped into her space again. Blake’s lips parted, but no words came out. Unlike a moment ago, when she seemed to have the upper hand with her teasing, the brunette no longer looked like she was aware of what she was doing.

“Blake?” Yang was starting to get concerned with how hard the other woman was staring at her neck. 

“I… What?” Blake seemed lost as to what was happening.

“Are you ok?” The blonde was caught between concerned and amused. It was much more entertaining when her partner got flustered by their mutual attraction.

“No. No, I don’t think I am.” Blake’s brow furrowed at her admission. Her mind felt hazy in a way that she didn’t remember ever experiencing before. She glanced at each feature of her partner’s face. It was just Yang. How could a bead of sweat completely short circuit her mind? It was ridiculous. She took in a deep breath and released it. Her eyes closed to shut out the picture of the beautiful, concerned woman who was starting to form a wicked smirk. She leaned her forehead into Yang’s. The contact helped to ease the powerful tension she felt inside.

“Can we just…stay here for a minute?” Blake’s voice was soft with need. If they parted right now, the loss would feel intense. Just another minute and she could get herself under control.

Warm, strong hands rested on her hips. Yang pressed the tip of their noses together to get just a little more contact.

“Yeah. For a minute. Not too long, or Weiss will storm out here to demand her beverage.”

Blake let out a short breath in amusement. She slid her arms up to wrap around Yang’s neck. She greedily took a whole two minutes to soak in her partner’s presence. The tension abated and left them with the comfort that normally existed between them. She opened her eyes and shifted back: far enough to be able to look at Yang, but not so far that they’d have to separate.

Yang gazed at her so tenderly that Blake forgot to breathe. When did things change between them so that her heart could be stopped by such a look? Her partner had looked at her with affection for some time, but had she ever looked at her quite like that before?

The moment passed when a smirk returned to the blonde’s face, emphasized by a chuckle. “That was quite the stunt you pulled with that catalog.”

Silence held for a moment. The switch in gears was more jarring than normal. A half smile cracked the side of Blake’s mouth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said coyly.

“Sure, sure. It’s not like you couldn’t tell what you were doing with every page turn.”

The faunus stopped fighting the smile tugging at her lips. “Are you trying to say something?” She saw the amusement in Yang’s eyes, and returned it. That was their thing, wasn’t it? Flirting around anything that got too serious? “Was there a reason you ended up so thirsty that you had to try to clear your throat _fifty_ times? I’m amazed that Weiss didn’t strangle you by page four.”

Full on grinning, Yang replied, “There wasn’t anything that good by page four. It wasn’t until that skimpy floral one with O-ring in the center-”

“Oh, this is just painful. Dust, just kiss already!”

Both women turned their heads in shock at the sound of the bystander. Coco Adel stood several feet away, dressed to kill and wearing her patented beret and aviators, one hand on her hip, and several books held in her other arm. She looked like she had stopped just before entering the library. That’s when they realized where they still were: beside the library. The pair turned bright red at the realization that they had an audience. They were in public by a building frequented by the entire student body.

Blake broke away first. “I’ll see you inside,” she hastily whispered to her partner. Head down to try to hide her incredible embarrassment, she scooped up and armful of drinks and ran inside.

“By the way, I’ve been standing here for five minutes trying to get your attention.” Coco brought a fist to her chest, not quite done with her plea. “You two are killing me. Xiao Long, it’s worse than those romance novels your girlfriend reads. Just do something, already.” She pulled her sunglasses down just far enough to give Yang a pointed look. Her message delivered, Coco turned and walked into the building.

Eyes wide, Yang ran a trembling hand through her hair. “Shit.”

—-

Blake wasn’t doing much better inside. It took her far too long to slow her breathing and lose the intense blush covering her face and neck. It was still less time than it took Yang to enter the building. The faunus headed back to the table the rest of her team sat at.

“Finally! What took you so long?” Weiss questioned immediately. She made it look like she had been personally snubbed by the wait.

Blake frowned. “The machine was slow.” She set the bottles on the table. Ruby immediately grabbed her milk, opened it, and drank half the bottle.

“Ruby! You shouldn’t drink that so fast. It’ll upset your stomach,” Weiss admonished. Her natural state seemed to involve frowning at her partner.

The young team leader let out a satisfied sound and wiped her mouth. “I’ll be fine, Weiss. I’ve been drinking milk just fine for years. Hey, where’s Yang?”

“Miss me already?” Yang called as she strolled in with a few more waters. There were far fewer bottles than Blake had noticed by the machine before she left. The other woman must have downed several more. Her skin was still a bit flushed, but nothing indicated that they’d been caught romantically flirting by Beacon’s top lesbian.

“Always!” Ruby replied enthusiastically. She grinned up at Yang.

They settled down to finish their work. Weiss had started another assignment. Ruby was nearing the end of her essay. Yang attempted to edit whatever nonsense she’d scribbled down during the last half hour.

Blake covered her mouth in a yawn. Her scroll vibrated to notify her of a new message. She set it on top of the catalog in her lap. Surprised, she glanced over at Yang. Her partner had sent her a message, but she seemed to be focused on rewriting. Where was she hiding her scroll?

**Page 6 & 11**

Curious, she flipped to page six. According to the text, this was one of the suits that Yang liked. She glanced over at the blonde again. Her pencil hovered over her paper. Yang barely hid a smile as her eyes flickered to Blake. Not even trying to hiding her amusement, Blake full on grinned at her scroll. She picked it up and took a picture of page six. She flipped to page eleven and did the same thing. She’d order them soon. Maybe she could model them to Yang and they could get past the friends-who-flirt phase they seemed to be stuck in.

On the other side of the table, Weiss held in a groan at the teen drama playing out before her eyes. She couldn’t hold back the eye roll, though. She almost poked Ruby to point out that those two idiots across from them were the very definition of “thirsty”. Had she known about Coco’s interruption, she would have agreed with her whole-heartedly. 

_Just kiss, already!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, this chapter is a lot longer than the others. It took a while to write, but I hope that I ended up with a decent balance with the tension. I promise that this is leading up to something by the end.
> 
> Stay tuned for more Coco teasing Yang about her not-quite-girlfriend. If anyone could get away with that it would be Coco, right?
> 
> This has all be incredibly fun for me to write! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read/comment/kudo this story. It means a lot to me and makes me want to write the next bit as soon as I can.


	4. Seize the Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang and Coco have a talk.

The Vytal Festival was mere weeks away, and Coco Adel was using the early afternoon to relax. She sat on a bench placed perfectly under a tree, with a cup of her favorite coffee blend in hand. The weather was warm and pleasant. A light breeze occasionally wisped by her cheek to carry the faint sounds of birds and a nearby bubbling fountain. Few people passed the second year huntress-in-training in her moment of zen. She’d managed to find a rare, secluded spot on the far end of campus. It was perfect.

All of that was interrupted by a tall woman with bright blonde hair who appeared before her. Yang Xiao Long stood in front of Coco in all her glory. She had clearly been out for a run. The woman’s orange tank top and tight black shorts clung to her from the light perspiration that beaded on her skin. A brilliant smile broke across her face as Coco looked at her with surprise. Slightly sweaty Yang shone with an intense vitality that was almost offensively attractive.

“Hey, Coco! How’s things?” Yang said, barely out of breath from her exercise.

The brunette cleared her throat awkwardly. “I’m doing well, Yang. How are you? Have a good run?”

“It was alright. The gym is really busy right now and I didn’t want to wait. It’s a nice day to be outside.” She leaned her elbows on the railing separating the bench from the campus trail. “Hey, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Curiosity piqued, Coco leaned forward and took a sip of her coffee. “Do go on.”

“You’re on the student council, or whatever passes as one here, right? And as a second-year, you get certain priority in reserving space on campus?”

The fashionista blinked in surprise. This was not a direction she’d anticipated the conversation going in. “Yes, that’s right.” She paused for a moment before flashing the other woman a grin. “Why, are you proposing a private rendezvous?”

“What? No, that’s not what I-” Yang sputtered. A light blush tinted her cheeks as she became flustered. “Coco! Can you not flirt for, like, five minutes?”

Light laughter came at her from the bench. “It’s hard not to when you blush like that.” Coco leaned back and stretched her free arm over the back of the bench. “Fine. What do you have in mind?”

The runner shifted from foot to foot before continuing. “Qualifiers start in a week. Everyone has been training so hard for the festival, and in no time we’ll be prepping for the matches. It would be nice to have a get together to blow off some steam and celebrate.”

“You want to have a party,” Coco replied, eyes narrowing slightly at the blonde.

“Not just any party,” Yang stated with pride. “I want to have a beach party! Sun, sand, hot bods, froufrou drinks, music. It’ll be awesome!” She beamed with excitement at the idea.

The older woman took a moment to contemplate the proposal. “Hot bods, huh?” A wicked smile stretched her lips. “How’s your girlfriend, Yang? Is that the hot bod that you want to see?”

Rolling her eyes, Yang’s blush came back deeper than before. “She’s not my girlfriend,” Yang replied, in a tone that indicated she’d said the words many times before.

“And who’s fault is that?” Coco slid her shades down her nose so that she could cock an eyebrow to look directly at Yang.

The blonde’s shoulders slumped. She sighed quietly and let her head drop. She stopped her fidgeting to stand very still. “I know. She’s been throwing me all these signals and I just… I’m afraid to change what we have.” Yang shook her head. She continued with a level of frustration in her voice. “I’ve never had a partner that I could work with like this before. I just look at her and she knows what I want to do. And when she looks at me, and glances at where she’s going, I know immediately what she’s asking for.” No words were spoken for a moment. The breeze returned to bring more sounds of nature in the silence that fell between them. Her eyes peeked up at Coco. The dark purple reflected a sense of fear that squeezed at Coco’s heart. “What if it doesn’t work out, and I ruin that?” she whispered.

Coco stood and lay an elegantly gloved hand on the tall woman’s shoulder. “Yang,” she said with feeling. Emotion gripped the brunette’s throat seeing the younger woman so vulnerable. She swallowed past it. When she had herself under control, she continued in a soft and steady voice. “Do you remember, a few weeks ago, when my team was on an extended mission, and you and Weiss had to take over organizing the dance?” Coco paused, and only continued after the blonde gave her a small nod. Stealing herself to talk about painful memories that were still too fresh, she let out a harsh breath.

“It was bad. The town we were sent to was …completely decimated. There was nothing left. Grimm were everywhere.” A shiver ran down her extended arm. It only trembled for a moment, but it was noticeable to both women. “We found survivors in a cave, but,” she bit her lip when her voice broke at the last word. Another breath and she continued. “They didn’t make it.”

“Coco. I’m so sorry,” Yang murmured with sadness. She reached out to place a hand on Coco’s resting on the railing. It shook under her fingers. Yang gave her hand a light squeeze in a show of support.

Coco shook her head. She wasn’t looking for pity, and she wasn’t done saying what she needed to. “What I’m trying to get at is that our lives are too short and unpredictable to waste time on what-ifs.” She looked into eyes that had lightened back to lilac. “A moment is all it takes to change everything. Choose your moment, Yang. Choose it before you run out of them.

“Don’t you want to see where that moment can take you?” The blonde nodded slowly at her. “Then do it. Your heart is so full. You wear it on your sleeve, sometimes literally in the form of your emblem,” she paused to smirk. “You’re not going to ruin anything. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll still be able to read each other. You’ll still do the job.”

Yang gave Coco a small, grateful smile. “Thanks, Coco. I think that I needed to hear that.”

The fashionista gave Yang’s shoulder a pat before returning to sprawl on her bench. “Don’t forget that you’re not just gorgeous on the outside,” she said with a fond smile. “If I can’t give a piece of girl advice to a forlorn bisexual, then how can I keep my title as Beacon’s top lesbian?” She sipped at the last of her coffee with a smirk. The blonde just rolled her eyes. “Your beach party idea interests me. Did you have any locations in mind?”

“I was kind of hoping for one of the larger training rooms,” Yang said hesitantly. She knew it was a big ask. One hand rose to the back of her neck as she gave a sheepish smile. “They can’t create multiple biomes like the Amity Colosseum, but they should be able to handle a basic beach set up with an area for dancing and food.” She paused, and flashed Coco a wide grin. “And a bar. If I can’t get a cold, fruity cocktail then this is all for nothing.”

“Hmm. It might be a hard sell. I have a few conditions. I’ll see what I can do about the location. If I can get it, then you have to get Weiss on board with planning this shindig, and find a good DJ. Oh,” Coco tapped her chin with a finger as her last thought came to her. “And your whole team had better show up in hot swimwear.”

The blonde frowned. “I don’t think that Ruby would be comfortable in anything too skimpy.”

With a wave, Coco replied, “I’m sure that you can help her find a tasteful two piece. No combat skirts. This is a **beach** party. Wave your flags, whatever they may be, but for Dust’s sake, show some skin.”

Yang’s laughter spread warmth over Coco’s nerves, finally letting her relax. “Fine, fine. I’ll make it happen.” She straightened up and lifted her arms up in a stretch. The orange shirt rode up for a moment to flash her ridiculously defined abs.

Coco huffed at the woman showing off. She noticed the twinkle in Yang’s eye when she peered to see if Coco was watching her. The brunette stood and busied herself retrieving her scroll. “Good. Now let’s get your girlfriend in a bikini.”

Yang let out a startled laugh. “I’m not sure how I feel about you saying that.”

“Which part? ‘Girlfriend,’ or ‘bikini?’” Coco winked. She held up her scroll to make a call and started walking toward the main campus. There was a lot of work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for continuing to read this story. I really appreciate every kudo and comment. You’ve all kept me pleasantly surprised that so many people are enjoying this.
> 
> Things are ramping up at work, and I expect to be working more hours due to the pandemic. It may be a while before I can get the next chapter up. Stay tuned. It will happen. The Bees will dance. Ruby will make Weiss laugh and have a good time. Nora will demand a conga line. Coco will have plenty of eye candy to keep her entertained. Good times all around.
> 
> Be safe out there.
> 
> (added 4/11/2020)
> 
> Hello, dear readers. I have not forgotten you. I have been writing up a storm for Camp NaNo. What I had planned to be one more chapter has turned into a 10k word work that takes place before the party. There is one more scene that I have to write, and then the editing begins. I've changed the chapter count to my best guess as to how this is going to unfold, but it's just been pouring out at such a pace that it's hard to gauge. I promise that more fluff and hilarity is coming. Thank you for your patience.
> 
> PS. The Bees are ridiculous and adorable.


	5. Have We Been Punk'd?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss has a bad morning.

“What am I even looking at, Jaune?”

Weiss blinked at the scraggly blonde. They were standing in the doorway to a large storage room. Other than a few random items on shelves against one wall, it was empty. It was also very early in the day, and Weiss had not had her coffee yet.

Jaune gestured to the empty room once again. Weiss raised an eyebrow to give him an unamused look.

“The tables! They’re gone!” He stepped into the room and continued to gesture emphatically. “There were fifty tables here three days ago.” He swung his arms down to gesture with both hands at the floor. “They’re gone! This room is table-less!”

“I can see that. Where did they go?” Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. She held back a sigh. Why was dealing with the worst huntsman such an ordeal?

Jaune walked back to the doorway. His eyes were gaining a wild look that Weiss took for fear of her reaction at first, but she now suspected might be mounting stress. He grabbed a clipboard that was hanging on the wall. Holding it up to Weiss, he pointed at it and whisper-shouted, “I don’t know! Whoever took them didn’t fill out the log! They could be anywhere!”

The heiress grabbed the wobbling clipboard from Jaune’s hands to get a steady view. The last person on the log was Jaune, three days ago, when he had taken inventory for the party supplies. She glanced into the room and back to the clipboard.

“But who would do such a thing? Why take fifty tables? How did they move all of that?” Weiss felt like she was missing something.

“Does it matter? They’re gone, and we need to find them.”

Weiss let out the sigh. It wouldn’t be the first. She took out her scroll and started typing.

“I’m contacting Goodwitch. This is ridiculous.” Finishing her message, Weiss put her scroll back. “What about the chairs?”

Jaune shrugged. “I haven’t checked them yet. I called you first thing.”

“Then let’s go.”

The pair made their way to another storage area several halls over. While Jaune fished out the key, Weiss stood behind him with arms crossed, tapping her foot. It put enough stress on Jaune that he fumbled the key a couple of times before the lock clicked. He swung the door open and turned on the light.

“Jaune.”

“Yes, Weiss?”

“Please tell me that this is some ill-advised prank.”

“… It’s not a prank, Weiss. Or, if it is, it’s being pulled on both of us.”

“Where are the chairs, Jaune?” she growled. Her eyes flashed at the poor teen with anger.

Jaune sighed. He reached for the clipboard and prayed to any god who would listen that there was at least one entry after he’d checked the room several days ago. He was in luck.

“It looks like Opal took twenty chairs for a study group yesterday.” He looked up at the short angry woman. He suddenly wished that he was staring down an angry Ursa than tremble beneath Weiss’s gaze.

“What about the other two hundred thirty chairs, Jaune?”

“Maybe they got together with the tables and eloped?” He threw his arms up. “I have no idea, Weiss!” They stared at each other, locked in a cycle of anger and frustration. It ended when Weiss abruptly spun on her heel and walked away.

“Hey! Where are you going?” called Jaune.

Her ponytail swished when she turned her head to answer. “I’m going to get coffee, and then I’m going to track down who did this. I’m not the only one who is going to have an unpleasant morning.”

“Woe be unto them,” he whispered at her back.

Twenty minutes later, Weiss was back in her dorm room with a hot cup of bean nectar cradled in her hands. Everyone else was still asleep. The sky was just starting to lighten in the predawn. She sat on her bed and watched the colors change out the window.

A ping from her scroll interrupted the tranquil moment. Weiss ignored it. She was intent on getting through at least half of her coffee before dealing with whatever new catastrophe summoned her. By the time the next ping startled her, the first true rays of light had stretched along the ground. She sighed and checked her messages.

“What?” Weiss whispered in disbelief. She was being pranked. The universe was taunting her for ever thinking that all her plans could avert what must be a karmic disaster for every horrible thing she had ever done. As if it were laughing in glee at her dismay, another message arrived, followed by another, and another.

“WHAT?” Her eyes bulged wider with every message she read.

“WHAT. IS. GOING. ON?!”

Weiss’s frustrated cry woke the rest of her teammates. Blake peered over at Weiss. Seeing her safe, Blake pulled the covers completely over her head. Yang’s bleary eyes peered down from her bunk across from Weiss in confusion. Ruby leaned down to look at Weiss from the bunk above with half her body dangling precariously into the other woman’s view.

“What **is** going on?” Ruby asked. She cast a concerned look at Weiss to take in the twitching eye and look of unhappiness. “Are you OK, Weiss? You look…peeved.”

“Peeved?” Weiss whispered. “I am beyond peeved. I was peeved about the vanishing tables. Then the chairs went missing. That was outrageous.” As she continued, her voice grew in volume. “But then the caterer messaged that there would be no sushi and-” Weiss’s eyes opened wide as another ding rang from her scroll to announce a new message. Her jaw dropped as she read it.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” The volume of Weiss’s shout made Blake leap out of bed and run into the bathroom. The sound of the shower could be heard through the door.

“What happened?” Yang asked. She blinked the sleep from her eyes before rolling off the top bunk and onto her feet.

For a moment, Weiss was silent. She was struggling to take a breath. She feared that if she took another one that yet another text would follow it. The next one could be a message of doom proclaiming that a dust explosion had destroyed the training room, or spontaneously spawned Grimm followed by every enemy they’d faced since the first semester. She managed to draw a full breath and tried to compose herself.

“DJ K just canceled.”

“What?” Yang shouted. She reached for her scroll to check for messages. The woman’s face fell at the text. “She had an emergency and had to fly back to Mistral. Damn.”

A tense silence filled the room as they took in the enormity of what had happened in the last few minutes. Ruby flipped off her bunk and sat next to Weiss on the lower bed. She put a hand on Weiss’s arm to get her to lower the scroll that was the focus of her glare. Only when Ruby caught her eye did she speak.

“Hey. It’s going to be OK.” Ruby mustered up a supportive smile for her partner. “Weiss, you’re an amazing planner. You don’t crack under pressure. You thrive. This is just another challenge.” Her smile widened as she spoke with more conviction. “And you always rise to a challenge. You’ve got this. We’ll help you in any way that we can.”

Weiss looked at Ruby for a long moment before taking a deep breath. Old patterns wouldn’t help her in this situation. Instead of redirecting her frustration onto her undeserving partner, Weiss pushed her anxiety back and composed herself once more. With a nod to the younger girl, she finally spoke.

“Thank you, Ruby. You’re right. This isn’t anything that can’t be handled.” She was quiet for a moment as she mentally changed her priorities for the day. “Yang, can you handle the DJ situation? It’s short notice, but if anyone can find one, it’s you.”

Yang nodded. “I’m on it. I have a few backup ideas.”

Weiss started typing on her scroll. “I’ll organize a search for the missing equipment. When I find out who took it, I **will** be reporting them to Goodwitch.” Her eyes narrowed at the thought of raining justice down on the perpetrators of such shenanigans. She finished sending several messages. Weiss glanced up at Ruby. A small frown formed on her lips when she looked back to her scroll. She looked up at her partner again. Ruby began to fidget.

“Um, Weiss? Why are you looking at me like that?” Ruby continued to shift uncomfortably.

Weiss opened her mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. She looked off to the side, eyes unfocused and deep in thought.

Suddenly, Weiss’s eyes widened, and a smile broke across her face.

“Ruby! I know what you can help me with. You’re the perfect person for the job.”

Ruby smiled gratefully at that. She sat straighter and placed her hands together in her lap in anticipation. “How can I help?”

“We need a new caterer. Can you get together with Ren? He has the list of caterers we already contacted. You can work on finding some others that might not be as,” she paused to carefully choose an appropriate word, “conventional as the one I was looking at. Ren has all of it, but I’ll forward you the budget, foods to avoid, and some examples of what I’m looking for.”

“Sure! Find Ren and make a list. I can handle that.” Ruby stood and took a few steps toward the door.

Yang snorted at her sister. “Ruby, Weiss just gave you the perfect job. You get to eat food all day.”

Weiss watched Ruby turn slowly to look at Yang as if she hadn’t quite heard her right. The way that Ruby’s jaw dropped and her eyes gradually widened larger was too cute for Weiss. The child-like joy that she was known for stirred affection in Weiss’s icy heart that she’d never felt for anyone before. It was like watching a puppy; you couldn’t help but smile at the boundless energy and joy with which it navigated the world.

“That’s amazing!”

A red flurry of rose petals knocked Weiss onto her back. Ruby had gotten so excited that she’d activated her semblance to cross the short distance to latch onto her.

“Weiss! You’re the best!”

Having had the wind knocked out of her, all Weiss could do was pat the other girl’s shoulder. Ruby glanced up and loosened her grip when she saw her struggle for air. “Sorry. But really, Weiss. Thank you. I won’t let you down.”

A rare, soft look was in Weiss’s eyes as she looked up at Ruby. The smile that she gave her made Ruby’s heart skip. The normal icy blue of Weiss’s eyes was warmer at that moment than Ruby had ever seen it. She felt drawn in by the feeling reflecting at her.

Weiss raised a hand to reach up and cup Ruby’s cheek.

“I know you won’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, dear readers! I have finally finished the rewrite of one of five chapters that I have been working on for Camp NaNoWriMo. It’s all lead-up to the party. Yes, it is a lot. Did I mention that this whole story was going to be a one-shot? I’ve learned to buffer my work before posting.
> 
> Please kudo and comment if you enjoy this. It’s my hope that you get as much of a kick out of these characters as I do writing them. Do you think that Weiss is too soft? Has she lost her edge, or has she simply learned to not lash out automatically?
> 
> I promise that sweet Bees have a nice long chapter coming up.


	6. Are You Eating My Candies?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang loves teasing Blake. Blake usually doesn't mind, because Yang can be very sweet.

When Blake walked out of the bathroom, only Yang was left in the room. She stopped drying her hair with her towel to get a better look at her partner. Yang stretched out her stomach in her snug orange tank top and tight black short shorts on Blake’s bed while reading a book that was open flat in front of her.

Blake narrowed her eyes. She had a suspicion that it was the latest Ninjas of Love novel that she had started last night. She strode over to the woman who looked quite content to commandeer her space. Crossing her arms, Blake looked down with some annoyance.

“You look comfortable.”

Yang looked up when Blake spoke. She reached her fingers into a small paper bag by her side and tossed a candy heart into her mouth. She grinned in response. Blake’s eyebrow twitched.

“Are you eating my candies? Really, Yang?”

Her only response was a throaty laugh.

“I’m surprised you didn’t steal my robe, too.”

“Well, if I did, you’d have to come out in just a towel. Hmm. Now I’m regretting not thinking of that.” Yang’s eyes dragged down Blake’s body.

“Yang!” Blake flicked an end of the wet towel at her in disapproval.

“The look on your face! It was totally worth it.” Yang half-rolled away and turned into a giggling mess.

Blake turned and walked to her wardrobe. She rolled her eyes and groaned at her partner’s antics. Of course, Yang had done it to get a rise out of her. The other woman had a good awareness of boundaries, but she seemed to delight in pushing hers just enough to be a little unsettling, but not far enough to make her really uncomfortable. And Blake let her.

After bonding with her for months, Blake trusted Yang in a way that she wasn’t sure she had ever experienced before. The open and honest nature of her partner made Blake feel safe. It was a completely unexpected feeling after fleeing the years of her life spent working from the shadows with the White Fang.

The candies, however, may have crossed that line. They were little cinnamon hearts that Blake had only ever found in one region of Mistral. A local shop had recently acquired a small stock of them, to her delight. They were a treat that reminded her of happier days from her childhood. She would never have found them if she hadn’t been with Ruby on a candy run a week ago.

She grabbed a fresh set of clothes and was about to turn back when she felt the heat from a presence behind her. Warm, strong arms slid loosely around her waist. A chin rested on her shoulder as a mane of blonde hair pressed into her cheek. Blake huffed at the cuddly woman.

“You know how much I was looking forward to those candies.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll get you more today.” Yang snuggled her face closer into Blake’s neck. She drew a deep breath filled with the scent of Blake’s soap and shampoo and let out a content sigh.

Blake couldn’t help but smile whenever Yang did that. It was adorable and affectionate in a way that she couldn’t resist. Yang’s warm breath tickled her cheek. The strong smell of cinnamon clung to Blake’s nose. She relaxed back into the hug. If Yang was going to replace her precious stash, then she couldn’t stay angry at her.

“Come with me on an errand. We’ll go into town and get whatever you want.”

Blake raised her eyebrows at the request. “Is this related to whatever Weiss was screaming about this morning?”

Yang groaned. She leaned her weight further into Blake.

“Yes. I don’t know what spirit Weiss pissed off, but she just kept getting text after text of things going wrong. The DJ had to cancel. I need to find a new one.”

Blake hummed in response. Her hands rested over the ones resting on her waist. “Sounds like you should get ready, then.”

“Are you going to come with me?”

“Into the bathroom?” Blake laughed. Yang’s low chuckle sent shivers up her spine.

“Into town. But since you mention it, I wouldn’t kick you out if you wanted to join me in the shower.”

Blake could feel the other woman’s smirk against her neck. She pulled the arms off of her waist. As she stepped away and turned to take a few steps back toward the beds, she returned Yang’s smirk with one of her own.

“Too bad for you. I already showered.” She winked playfully. She moved toward her bed to toss her armful of clothes onto it. Blake paused with her hand on the knot that held her robe closed. “Yang. Go shower so we can get breakfast and go.”

Yang gazed at Blake as her thoughts warred in her head. The woman stood in her short robe, hair still slightly damp and disheveled from the towel dry she had given it. Her skin glowed from the body lotion that Yang knew she used. Soft lighting in the room made the scene in front of her look far more appealing and romantic than Yang would have imagined.

She swallowed through a sudden dryness in her throat when she noticed that Blake stood with her hands resting on the sash that kept the robe closed. An eyebrow arched at her. Yang realized that she’d been staring for far too long. She shook herself out of it and moved to her own wardrobe.

“Right.” Blindly grabbing items, Yang gathered a set of clothes and fled into the bathroom.

Blake shook her head. Her partner had been a little off for the last few days. She hoped that she could figure out what was bothering her before the party. The flirting and teasing was fun, but Blake suspected that if she had taken Yang up on her offer in the bathroom that the other woman might faint from the shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little fluff to tide you over. This ended up being short because it's setting up for a very long chapter for the Bees. The next chapter may not be up for a couple of weeks. It needs a total rewrite and has been more troublesome than I anticipated. Someone is going to feel Weiss's vengeance.
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments if you are enjoying this! I appreciate you all.
> 
> Shout out to NotMorketWearingAFalseMustache for being my beta, and AmericanWildDog for posting on every chapter. You are rockstars.


	7. Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss looked away with a slightly embarrassed expression.
> 
> "You're right. My first impulse is to do everything in my power to completely ruin each of their lives. Expulsion, money and property loss, ruined reputations, and blacklisting. I wouldn't have given it a second thought even six months ago."
> 
> "So, what changed?"
> 
> "Have you met my team?" Weiss looked down with a rueful smile. They had been a catalyst for so much change in her that it was staggering to think about. One of them, in particular, was still urging on change in her. She wanted to be a better teammate, a better huntress, a better partner for Ruby. With her partner in mind, Weiss looked back up at Pyrrha. "I could never live with disappointing Ruby like that."

"Thank you for accompanying me, Pyrrha. I hope that Jaune feels better soon," Weiss said to the woman that strode next to her. She felt a tiny grain of guilt that had been rubbing her wrong all day for yelling at him earlier. She’d have to apologize to him soon.

Pyrrha slowed for a step. She pictured her partner as she last saw him: listening to country music and sadly eating a piece of chocolate cake Nora had produced to console him. Ren was on one side, patting his shoulder in sympathy, and Nora holding his hand at the other.

"So do I. He needed to take some personal time." She gave Weiss a weak smile.

"I spoke with a witness earlier who identified Dove in the area just after the chairs were likely taken." Weiss glanced at Pyrrha. She was glad that the woman had agreed to accompany her, but was a little surprised that she had accepted the request so quickly considering how depressed Jaune was after their rough morning. She supposed she should be grateful that she didn't end up with Nora. That would have ended in disaster. This was supposed to be a surveillance mission.

Pyrrha made a disgusted sound. Weiss glanced at her in surprise with wide eyes.

"Team CRDL is the antithesis of what Beacon stands for. I know that not everyone comes here with the intention of service to the people, but they really don't seem to embody any of the values of Huntsmen."

Weiss had never seen such a dark look on her friend's face.

"Agreed," Weiss said slowly. "I don't think that I've ever heard you speak of anyone that way before."

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Weiss-"

Weiss placed a hand on the woman's arm to stop her.

"You didn't. It's refreshing, actually," Weiss paused to flash a grin. "You're painfully nice sometimes, Pyrrha. Cardin and his team are the worst bullies that I've seen outside of Atlas, and that's saying something."

Pyrrha grimaced at the mention of CRDL's team leader.

"Cardin. He's a power-hungry, racist misogynist. He gets joy out of grinding anyone under his boot that he thinks is lesser, and can't stand the idea that any woman could be better than him at anything. I can't believe that he hasn't been kicked out for how he harasses every Faunus student he can. And I'll never forgive him for the way he bullied Jaune." Pyrrha’s voice was fierce with anger.

"He's the worst, isn't he?" Weiss gave her a little grin.

"He really is."

"Let's nail him to the wall. If they're all involved in this, then my goal is to get them expelled."

Pyrrha shifted her stance and put a hand on her left hip. "Only expelled?" She gave Weiss a critical look. The heiress frowned under her gaze.

"Yes," Weiss said with a sigh. "As much as I'd like to completely destroy them all, I will have to settle for the most extreme measure that may be dealt out per academy policy."

"Why? No offense, but you're not the type to hold back for something like this."

Weiss looked away with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"You're right. My first impulse is to do everything in my power to completely ruin each of their lives. Expulsion, money and property loss, ruined reputations, and blacklisting. I wouldn't have given it a second thought even six months ago."

"So, what changed?"

"Have you met my team?" Weiss looked down with a rueful smile. They had been a catalyst for so much change in her that it was staggering to think about. One of them, in particular, was still urging on change in her. She wanted to be a better teammate, a better huntress, a better partner for Ruby. With her partner in mind, Weiss looked back up at Pyrrha. "I could never live with disappointing Ruby like that.

"There's a reason that I came here instead of Atlas. I don't want to be the person that my father was trying to turn me into." Weiss's voice grew quiet. She looked back at Pyrrha, glancing up from below her bangs. "Being there was like being hooked up to a steady drip of poison. It was so slow that I didn't notice how much damage it was doing until I stopped taking it.

"I can serve the people as a Huntswoman and work toward making this world better for everyone. My grandfather was a Huntsman. He instilled that sense of responsibility in me. I'm here to honor his memory, and to learn all that I can to prepare me for changing the SDC when I finally inherit it.

"I am capable of so much more than my father can imagine." With her last statement, Weiss gave Pyrrha a sharp grin. Her confidence showed in her eyes as steel behind the ice blue. The scar over her left eye gave her look a dangerous edge.

A smile lit up Pyrrha's face. Her eyes shone with affection that Weiss had not experienced from her before.

"You’ll make an excellent huntress, Weiss. I'm proud to know you."

Weiss blushed under the compliment. "Does that mean that I have your support?"

"Absolutely." She made a fist and grinned at her. "Let's crush them."

—————

They got lucky on their first try to tail one of CRDL's members. They ducked around a corner just as Sky took off past them to meet up with his team. The duo carefully followed the least sleazy member halfway across campus to a small clearing that neither Weiss nor Pyrrha had ever been to. They hid behind some large stones that offered the area a wall of privacy from the rest of the garden.

Weiss pulled out her scroll and was about to raise it when Pyrrha's hand closed on her wrist and pushed it down. She looked up at her friend with a frown.

As Pyrrha pointed up at the sky, she drew a line down to the screen and out to the group of boys. Weiss's eyebrows raised in surprise. She hadn't thought about the angle of the light. It could have reflected on the screen and given away their position.

She nodded to let Pyrrha know that she understood. Carefully, Weiss shifted over and repositioned her scroll to get the whole group in the shot. She hit the control for record.

They had missed Cardin speaking, but when Sky opened his mouth to answer, Weiss was immediately glad that she had started recording in time.

"Schnee is still storming around looking for breadcrumbs. I haven't seen her interact with any of the faculty. Her team isn't around, either. Looks like dead ends all around."

"Excellent." Even Cardin's smile was smarmy. Weiss shivered. Could he be more revolting?

"Even if she does manage to find it all, she's still screwed on music and food. And then there's the little gift we left in the training room. Russel, please tell me you got the camera set up?"

"Oh yeah. It's pointed at just the right angle. We can stream the whole thing. Schnee will be the laughing stock of the festival!"

"Awesome. All of those girls need to be taken down a peg." Laughter followed the banal line.

Weiss stopped the recording and pocketed her scroll. She followed Pyrrha as the other woman made her way along the stone wall and around the corner. They were well hidden when the boys left the garden.

Pyrrha stood with a deep frown and a queasy look.

"Part of me had hoped that they weren't all involved. I can't believe that they'd go to such lengths. Is it personal? Did you do something to any of them?"

Weiss looked surprised by the accusation.

"No! I haven't." She frowned in thought. "I've barely interacted with them."

Still thinking of team CRDL's motivation, they made their way across campus to the office of Professor Goodwitch.

—————

The footage of team CRDL finished playing. Professor Goodwitch leaned back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had already had it with the team's previous shenanigans. She waved the video from Weiss's scroll over to her terminal to make a copy.

"This is enough to open a case. Thank you, girls. Have you been able to locate any of the missing items?"

"I've scheduled a meeting with the volunteers in half an hour. I'm sure that we'll be able to find whatever they've managed to hide on campus," Weiss said with confidence.

The professor nodded.

"Professor?" Pyrrha asked tentatively. She glanced at Weiss and received a nod in support.

"Yes, Ms. Nikos?"

"We'd both like to be there when you inspect the training room."

Glenda's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"That could be dangerous. Why would you want to do that?"

"With all due respect, Professor, that team has been breaking the rules left and right and causing a good part of the student body grief. This has been the first time that there is both witness testimony and video evidence connecting them to anything. I'd like to be involved in the process to see justice served." Pyrrha’s face was stony with her conviction.

Glenda's expression softened at Pyrrha. "It's a little more personal than that, isn't it?"

"Of course, it is." Pyrrha didn't deny it. "Jaune might have let it go, but I haven't. If I can have a hand in preventing anyone from being harassed by that team, it will go a long way for my personal peace of mind."

The professor thought it over for a moment.

"Very well. You may both accompany me, on two conditions. The inspection team goes in first. You do not enter until they call you in. We have no idea if there is something dangerous in there, and I don't want students in harm's way, prank or no."

They both nodded without hesitation.

"Second, you must keep the investigation's findings confidential until the school administration comes to a conclusion." She looked pointedly at each of them over the rim of her glasses. "Is that understood? You can mention that there’s an investigation to your respective teams, but you cannot share the details of any of the witness's identity or testimony, nor the video evidence, or the training room inspection."

Weiss and Pyrrha gave each other matching worried looks. Keeping details from their team members would not be easy, but it was worth it.

Weiss nodded firmly. "Agreed."

"And you, Ms. Nikos?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Very well. Let's go."

—————

"He's the 'inspection team'? Really?" Weiss said disgustedly. She looked up and down at the half-drunk man who always sported the cockiest grin she'd ever seen.

Glenda sighed and pushed her glasses up on her nose.

"He's the best that we have right now."

"Hey, don't make it sound like I don't have better things to do. It's not like someone else turned you down. You asked me first," said Qrow.

"I know that Ozpin is unavailable. Technically, you were my second choice."

"Great. Any idea what I'm looking for?"

"Probably pigs blood above a lightning trap," Weiss muttered under her breath.

Qrow's eyebrows shot up.

"Wow, what did you do to those kids, Mini Ice Queen?"

Weiss gave the man an angry huff.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Her voice became shrill as she got louder. "I didn't do anything!" She threw her arms out and stomped one high heeled boot.

"Well, it's not out of character, is it?" Qrow sneered at her.

"Whatever. Aren't you here for a reason? Could you get on with that, please?" Weiss crossed her arms and shot him a withering look.

Qrow rolled his eyes. He spotted a broom in the hallway and grabbed it. Carefully, he extended the full length of it to push open the door. When nothing happened, he slowly took a step in. The door swung closed behind him.

Ten minutes later, they heard a loud snap, followed by an impressive string of curses that made Pyrrha blush. Weiss almost looked impressed at the variety of languages Qrow could curse in.

The door swung open. Qrow's clothes were completely soaked through. More than that, his hair stood out in a frazzled mess. Wisps of smoke floated up from the ends. His expression was the opposite of the cocky grin he'd had moments ago; instead, he frowned so profoundly that she actually felt a pang of empathy for the older man.

"That," he flicked his arms down in vain to drive the water off, "was very unpleasant."

Glenda held a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. He looked like a wet bird that had been hit by lightning. She took a moment to steady herself before speaking.

"I take it that you found the trap?"

Qrow looked at her as if he knew she was messing with him.

"Yes, Glenda. I found the trap. No pig's blood," he said as he glanced at Weiss, "but plenty of ice-cold water to soak anyone, followed by a fun lightning dust cartridge planted in the floor to make it extra invigorating."

He tossed a camera to the professor that Weiss hadn't noticed in his hand.

"That was set up to record the whole thing once the trap was triggered. Bad luck that it went off when it did. The camera wasn't activated."

"That might be the best luck that we could have. If it hasn't broadcast, then we might still be able to trace the destination for the video," Pyrrha said.

Qrow let out a bark of laughter at that.

"At least it wasn't all bad. I'll leave this part up to you. I'm going to find a place to dry out." The man hunched over and started to shuffle his way down the hall.

"Qrow!"

The huntsman stopped his soggy parade at Weiss's shout. She looked like she was trying to swallow something vile, but managed to force her features back to her regular expression. She nodded at him.

"Thank you. You took a hit meant for me, and I appreciate it."

Qrow stared at the heiress with wide eyes. He stood like that for an uncomfortable amount of time, totally in shock.

"Yeah… Sure. You're welcome." He blinked back at her a few times before turning back and shuffling off, leaving a large puddle where he had stood, and a trail of water in his wake.

————

"What are you going to do about the tables?"

Weiss looked up at Pyrrha when she posed the question. She sighed. The day had been long. Meeting up with the rest of Team JNPR, minus Ren, for dinner was the first break she'd had since the ten minutes she allowed herself to choke down a sandwich around lunchtime.

"I made a call. If we can't find them by noon tomorrow, I will have a delivery of replacements scheduled for the late afternoon. At least Sun found the chairs."

"That room looked like something out of a fable to scare children. Why is there a room half-full of broken spindles? Who keeps that?" Pyrrha shuddered.

"I don't even want to make a guess." Weiss shook her head. The memory of chairs thrown haphazardly on top of each other was terrible enough. She didn't need her imagination running away with images of any of the professors hiding a weird spinning and weaving hobby.

A picture of Professor Port spinning an endless skein of yarn from his bushy mustache flashed before her eyes. She groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

Across from the two friends, Nora was chatting non-stop in an attempt to cheer Jaune up. Pyrrha and Weiss were flipping through a summer fashion magazine in-between bites of dessert.

"Would Team CRDL report to Headmaster Ozpin's office, please. Team CRDL to Headmaster Ozpin's office."

They all looked up when the announcement came through the cafeteria. Pyrrha and Weiss shared a look of excitement. It was finally happening.

Nora noticed.

"OK… What's going on?"

"With any luck, karma." Weiss didn't even try to hide her smugness.

Nora leaned across the table to Pyrrha in an attempt to be quiet.

"Is this about that thing you couldn't talk about?"

Pyrrha nodded. As much as she tried, she was rapidly failing to keep a bright smile from taking over her whole face.

"Good thing?"

"It's looking that way." Pyrrha turned her full smile onto Jaune. The boy looked surprised, but he returned it. Pyrrha's smiles were hard to resist.

Weiss hid a smirk. She'd never understood what Pyrrha saw in him, but her adoration and protectiveness for Jaune was something that couldn't be denied. With any luck, this whole situation with Cardin and his team would push them closer together.

"I suddenly feel a need to go to the clock tower," Weiss said casually.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing." Pyrrha nonchalantly turned a page on the magazine. "Jaune," she glanced up from a page showing off a breezy linen pantsuit, "Let's go for a walk. Toward Ozpin's office."

Jaune's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Why would we want to be near Ozpin's office?"

"I have a feeling that something exciting is about to happen." Pyrrha raised an eyebrow at her team leader. "We wouldn't want to miss it, right?"

Jaune shrugged.

"Sure, Pyrrha. Let's go for a random walk toward the clock tower."

Weiss gave him a contemplative glance.

"You might not be quite as oblivious as you seem."

Nora laughed and flapped her hand at Weiss.

"Don't let this moment fool you. He's even more oblivious than he seems."

"Thanks, Nora. Your support really means a lot," Jaune said dryly.

Pyrrha's soft laugh caused Jaune's expression to soften. She stood and circled to the other side of the table.

"Come on, Captain Oblivious. You're getting a front-row seat to this." She patted his shoulder and began to walk off toward the exit. Weiss got up and followed her.

Jaune and Nora shared a surprised look.

"What do you think this is about?" Jaune asked.

Nora stood and shrugged.

"No idea. But it's something that got Pyrrha to team up with Weiss for the day, so it has to be worth a few minutes."

"Good point."

They followed the two women to Ozpin's tower. Weiss pointed toward two bookcases that served as dividers in the space before the elevator.

"We should be able to hide over there. Pyrrha, why don't you and Jaune go over to that one? Nora and I will browse the stacks across from you."

They all nodded and took positions with a view of the elevator that offered concealment from anyone getting off.

"So, Weiss, why did you run around with Pyrrha all day? Why isn't Ruby here?" Nora asked as she tried to act nonchalant.

Weiss pulled a book from the shelf and opened it to a random page. She gazed with mild interest at pictures from the original construction of Beacon.

"You know exactly where Ruby has been, Nora. She's on a 'food extravaganza' with Ren." She smiled wryly as she used the phrase Ruby had been texting her in updates on their progress throughout the day. “She’s helping with an important task, and having a nice day out. It’s pointless for both of us to have a miserable day.”

"Are you at least going to give me a clue what this is all about?" Nora crossed her arms and pouted.

Weiss pressed her lips tightly together. It was nearly over; there wasn't any harm in spilling some less detailed answers.

"We found out who stole the equipment." Weiss watched Nora's eyebrows shoot up as she made the connection. "It wasn't just that. There was more. They had a plan to ruin the party, and to humiliate me for some reason."

At that, Nora narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Why you?" Nora put a hand on her hip and frowned. "Weiss, what did you do?"

They were trying to keep a low profile, so Weiss restrained the volume of her reaction. Rather than stomp her foot, a strangled sound came from her throat.

"I am really getting tired of everyone asking me that. Nothing. I did nothing to antagonize those miscreants." She looked across at Pyrrha and Jaune, who were leaning close in hushed conversation. Weiss nodded over to the pair.

"If this goes the way we expected, then it will mean more to them than it does to me."

Just then, the elevator began ticking down floor numbers as the car shot down the tower. It dinged when it arrived on the ground floor. The doors opened to reveal a very angry Team CRDL, followed by a subtly smug Professor Goodwitch.

The four boys breezed out of the room without even glancing at the not so stealthy students trying to hide behind the books. Professor Goodwitch stopped next to Pyrrha while watching Team CRNL exit the building, followed by a loud slamming of the door.

The professor pushed her glasses up her nose. Her eyes flicked to each side to take note of her students.

"Professor?" Pyrrha wasn't sure how to ask for information subtly in this situation.

"Miss Nikos. The findings of the investigation have been presented, and a judgment has been rendered." Goodwitch turned to face Pyrrha and Jaune with a smile. "Team CRNL has been suspended until the end of the Vytal Tournament, after which a full board hearing will be convened to determine if expulsion is warranted. They will be allowed to participate in the tournament matches, as it is too late to substitute another team, but are barred from further activities surrounding the festival.

“Beacon takes the theft of property and intent to harm fellow students very seriously. Thank you for your assistance in this matter." She nodded at Pyrrha and then turned to Weiss.

"Thank you for presenting this matter to the administration, Miss Schnee. Your communication and assistance have been invaluable. If you'll excuse me," Goodwitch nodded at the group. She strode out with a slight bounce in her step.

No one said anything for a long moment. It was Jaune who broke the silence.

"What just happened?"

Pyrrha turned to face him. She gripped his upper arms and looked directly into his eyes with a solemn expression.

"Justice." She held his gaze for a beat before sliding her arms around his back to pull him into a hug.

Jaune held still. Surprise, despair, anger, and affection all washed over his features as his emotions churned inside of him. He finally raised his arms to hug Pyrrha back.

"Pyrrha," he whispered. He held on tighter. Voice cracking with emotion, he said, "Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out again to NotMorketWearingAFalseMustache for beta reading.
> 
> Weiss shows restraint? What's going on? I hope that I'm keeping a good balance with the change that Weiss has experienced and her forever prickly nature. Let me know if you think she's too soft.
> 
> The sweet Arkos scene at the end was as much a surprise for me as it was for you. Ruby will be back in a couple of chapters. Ren is going to have to roll her down the street back to Beacon.
> 
> The next chapter is long, y'all. It's all Bees. They're so fun to write. I can write their flirty dialog all day.


	8. The Sun and Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake and Yang check out the Vale Family Fun Center in their search for a replacement DJ.  
> \-----
> 
> Delighted laughter came from Blake. It was Yang's expression that caused her to break her normally stoic look.
> 
> "What, you think that part just turns off when you get to a certain age?" She lightly elbowed her shocked partner in jest. Recovering quickly, Yang closed her mouth and reacted in her signature way.
> 
> "I'd take my pants off for you at any age," Yang quipped. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she felt blood rush to her face. They weren't alone like they usually were when she pulled out the saucy jokes.
> 
> Instead of blushing at the inappropriate joke from her partner, Blake crossed her arms and just shook her head. She had expected something along those lines to come from Yang. It had only been a matter of time.
> 
> Cherry chortled at the couple before her. "Wow, Blake. You weren't exaggerating."

"Are you sure she's going to be there this early?" Yang called back to the woman pressed distractingly close to her on the bike.

"Yeah, she said that she had an early shift today," Blake shouted into the wind. She snuggled a little bit closer to the warmth bleeding through Yang's soft, brown bomber jacket. It wasn't chilly on the motorcycle, but she was drawn into the heat that always surrounded the other woman's body. She raised an arm to point out a flat, long building. "It's just down there on the right."

Slowing down for the turn, Yang pulled Bumblebee into a large parking lot about a quarter full of cars. She pulled into a spot close to the front and waited for Blake to disentangle herself before pulling out the stand and turning the bike off. She dragged her fingers through her long hair and shook it to get it back into the careful mess she usually wore.

"This is a weird place to meet a DJ," Yang muttered.

Blake leaned back against the building as she drank in the vision of sunlight reflecting in Yang's hair with a divine glow. It only enhanced her partner's look of natural vitality. She was breathtaking.

"Most DJs have a day job." She sighed longingly at Yang. Under the halo of her hair, the other woman was wearing a yellow tank top under her jacket, and tight black jeans capped with her usual calf-length brown leather boots. "You're beautiful in the sunlight. It lights up your hair, almost like your semblance."

"Stop," she groaned. Pink flushed over Yang's cheeks.

"Why?" Blake's eyes dared her to give one good reason to deny the compliment.

Yang crossed her arms petulantly and blushed harder.

Strutting over to her partner, Blake made sure to put some extra sway into her hips. She leaned into Yang's space to place a chaste kiss on her cheek. Slowly, Blake moved her lips over to Yang's ear. She brushed the soft skin with her lips as she whispered, "You're adorable when you're grumpy and embarrassed."

Done with her teasing, Blake flashed a wide grin and strode to the door. She pulled it open but paused before stepping inside. Blake turned back to glance at her handiwork. Yang was speechless and turning a delightful shade of red. "Are you coming, or are you going to stand there looking like a tomato?"

With a huff, Yang walked to the door. She brushed past Blake, muttering something that Blake thought sounded like "a beautiful golden tomato." A delighted laugh rang from Blake just before she strode into the cacophony.

The DJ that they were to meet was working first shift at Vale's only roller rink. The front end was half restaurant and half game center. Children ran across their path haphazardly. A large group of children congregated around a boy who wore a paper hat. Above the noise of excited children, they could just make out the beat of the music. A sign helped them navigate the path to the rink in the back half of the building. The closer they got, the clearer the music could be heard.

The room opened up to an ample space with benches and a few tables in front of the rink. People of all ages skated the loop with varying levels of skill. There were far fewer children than in the restaurant and game area.

Blake motioned to the right where a large glass pane showed the view of the DJ booth. A woman in a white blazer worn over a red button-down shirt sipped at a soft drink while thumbing through her scroll. She had long, wavy hair that was dark purple on top and faded to a light pink at the tips. Long eyelashes framed dark violet eyes that tracked text on her scroll. A pair of small brass-rimmed glasses with pink lenses sat on top of her head. Her sleeves were pushed up to her elbows, exposing an intricate pattern on the inside of her shirt cuffs. Gold bangles danced on her wrists as she tapped at the scroll. She had a classy style that seemed misplaced in such a mundane location.

Yang's eyebrows shot up when she took in the gorgeous woman in the booth. Her gaze slid slowly to her partner. She hesitated to ask the question on her tongue.

"What? Does she not look enough like a DJ?" Blake teased. The location may have been an odd one, but the woman in the booth certainly looked like someone who radiated cool wherever she went.

"…How do you know her again?" Yang's voice fluctuated between concerned and alarmed.

"I met her at Basque. She's the DJ for Ladies Night." She shrugged at Yang like it was no big deal.

Yang's brows furrowed as she stared at her partner. Her eyes looked into Blake's as if she were searching for some clue to decipher what she just said.

"Isn't Basque the author you read at the book club?"

Now it was Blake's turn to look confused. "What are you talking about? Basque is the club I go to on nights you go out to karaoke with Nora. We've talked about this."

Realization dawned on Yang's face. It was almost funny to watch her eyes expand the moment everything clicked into place.

"Basque is a dance club?" she asked loudly. "You only ever called it a club, and you were waving a book around when you spoke about it!"

"Yang, I nearly always have a book in my hand when we're at the dorm." She looked at her partner in disbelief. Her voice rose in volume to match the other woman's. "You really thought I went to a book club while you were getting up to drunken shenanigans with Nora?"

"Well, it's not out of character! You like low-key fun. You said the whole reason you don't go out with us is because it's too loud," Yang replied in frustration.

"The two of you together are incredibly loud. It's that and how you act with Nora when you've both been drinking! You're like two children trying to come up with new ways to get thrown out of every bar they let you in!" Blake ran her fingers through her hair, careful to avoid dislodging her bow. "I like to cut loose, too, you know. You could always come out dancing with me."

"I didn't know that you went out dancing!" Yang shouted and threw her hands up.

They stared at each other, each tense from the raised voices they had used in the argument. Music continued to beat around them in a sensual rhythm that did nothing to lower their tension. The intense look they shared lasted until the song ended and changed to something with a more modern beat. Yang visibly deflated. She avoided the amber eyes in front of her. Her arms crossed, and her gaze switched to a stain on the carpet.

Blake slumped where she stood. They rarely argued. The conversation seemed to have taken a turn from out of nowhere. Discomfort drove her to take a step closer to the other woman. She carefully reached out for Yang's arm. Her touch wasn't shrugged off, so she tried to lead her partner over to a hallway to the side that offered a bit of privacy. Yang let herself be led, but she was uncomfortably silent.

"Hey," Blake spoke softly. She rubbed her thumb over the arm she still held in a supportive manner. "What is this really about? I'm sorry that you misunderstood about the club." The silence stretched as she willed the other woman to say anything at all.

"It's just…" Yang's voice dropped off. Her gaze still wouldn't meet her partner's eyes. "I used to feel guilty when I went out and left you behind. But then seeing her…" Yang's lips pressed hard together and turned down in a frown. "She's beautiful and cool, and works with music, and she seems really classy. Of course, you'd want to see her."

Yang brought the back of her hands up to her view from where her head hung. Her hands flexed into fists. The calluses from conditioning made her hands bigger and rougher than other women. They made her self-conscious at times. She usually hid them under gloves so they wouldn't be so obvious. Yang exuded an easy confidence, but even she had dealt with mean girls back in her last school. Her hands and her height were the two things that had been used by a few people to make her uncomfortable.

Yang wasn't vain about anything other than her hair. She knew that she was attractive with a fit body and bright smile, but it was balanced by her increased musculature and the rougher hands of someone who used their body as a weapon. She wasn't as sleek and wiry as her partner, or dainty like the attractive and fashionable DJ in the booth.

It wasn't until Yang brought her hands up to focus on her calluses that Blake understood. She was jealous. Blake reached out for Yang's hands to hold in her own. Her thumbs made gentle circles over the knuckles that could deal incredible damage. She loved every inch of her partner, and wouldn't change Yang for the world.

"First of all, she's just a DJ, Yang. I know her because I've gone to that club at least seven times over the last three months. I didn't have her number. I only knew how to contact her today because she's on social media and publicly lists her contact information."

Yang still wasn't looking at her, so Blake dropped one of her hands to gently guide her chin up and redirect her gaze. Her fingers curled up to slide over the soft skin of the other woman's cheek and held it gently. "I'm not interested in her, Yang. I'm interested in you. Only you."

It was the first time that she'd said it out loud. Now that it was out there, there would be no more skirting around the mutual attraction that they felt. Blake hoped to feel relief, but every sense that she possessed focused on Yang's reaction to her confession.

Yang drew in a sharp breath. She glanced up at Blake, hope shining in her eyes. She drew another breath and tried to respond, but only a croak made it out of her throat. Confusion clouded her vision. Yang bit her bottom lip as she struggled with a surge of emotion. Her eyes shone with moisture that didn't quite form into tears.

Blake felt her heart drop while watching Yang struggle. She quickly moved to embrace the woman, pulling her tightly against her.

"What's wrong? Yang?" The woman clung to her in a quiet way that she hadn't experienced before. She didn't seem capable of responding, so Blake ran a hand gently through her long golden mane. She started humming along to the song pulsing in the room behind them. The gestures seemed to slowly calm her partner.

"Why?" The shaky whisper was barely audible, but Blake's enhanced hearing picked it up. She continued to stroke the soft hair with a slow, even rhythm.

"Why what, sunshine?" She placed a couple of kisses in the woman's hair.

"Why would you only want to be with me?" Yang grabbed the shirt at her back in one hand and clutched tightly.

The disbelief in her voice stabbed deep into Blake's heart. Did she not believe that she was worthy of Blake's interest? What made her so overwhelmed when she heard the words out loud that Blake had been broadcasting through her actions for weeks?

"Why would I want to be with you?" she whispered in wonder. "Why wouldn't I? Yang, do you not know that you're my favorite person? You're kind and honest and strong and brave." She dug her fingers into the blonde hair to gently massage the back of her head. A smile grew on Blake's lips as she listed off the things that she loved about Yang.

"You're always there with a terrible joke to cheer me up when I get stuck in my own head. Every time you push me out of my comfort zone it ends up being more fun than I could have imagined. You are so much smarter than anyone realizes.

"The way you care about people is beautiful. You're so protective of your friends and family. I've been honored to have you as my partner, and as my friend." She loosened her hold to try to get Yang to look up at her.

Yang sniffed and loosened her grip on the shirt. She leaned back enough to glance at her partner's face.

Blake moved her hands to cup Yang's face. She tilted her face to directly meet her eyes.

"Yang… You're the most beautiful person I have ever met. You have a light in you that is almost blinding. When I'm with you, I feel like life has a possibility that I never imagined before." Blake pressed a kiss against her forehead and lingered. "You're the sun, and I am the moon. How could I resist the pull from you to me?"

The words hung between them for one interminable moment. Blake ran her fingers over Yang's cheeks to wipe away a few tears that had spilled out. Yang's lilac eyes searched Blake's face. Her poetic words had unleashed such an intense longing in Yang that she didn't want to deny any longer.

"Blake…" Yang grabbed a fist full of the fabric at the front of Blake's shirt. She gazed back at the feeling shining in her partner's eyes. Slowly, Yang pulled until Blake's face was close enough that she could lean in and, very softly, press her lips to her partner's. Blake was so still that she didn't even seem to be breathing. Yang sucked at her lower lip and tasted the spice leftover from the cinnamon candy Blake had before the ride into Vale. She moved in for another kiss. Finally, Yang felt Blake kiss her back and heard her draw in a sharp breath. She felt a tug from Blake's fingers when they slid up to bury themselves up into the hair at the base of her neck. Yang took a deep breath as she was pulled further in.

The soft floral smell of her partner's hair flooded Yang's senses. It combined with the scent she knew was Blake to envelop her in a space that was only theirs. She sighed into the kiss. Her lips shifted up to lightly suck Blake's upper lip. She broke the kiss for a fraction of a second to wet her lips before continuing their slow exploration of the lips belonging to her favorite person.

Blake let out a soft moan that made Yang feel weak in the knees. She reached for the belt loops at Blake's hips with both hands to pull her body closer. The feel of her flooded Yang's mind with a fog that made everything else fall away. One hand moved to pull her lower back closer while the other slid up her spine to press at the back of Blake's neck. It still wasn't enough. Yang pulled her lips away to look at the face of her partner.

The heat from Yang was driving Blake crazy. Feeling her every curve locked against her was making it hard to maintain the slow kiss. When Yang's lips pulled away, she tried to follow them. She wasn't ready for it to end. Lifting heavy lids to refocus her gaze, she saw the lips still covered in pink lip gloss that should be pressed against hers. Slowly, her eyes trailed up Yang's face until they settled on the wide pupils in dark purple eyes. The desire she saw sent a shiver down Blake's spine.

"Yang, please," she said, her voice thick with need, "kiss me again."

With a sound close to a growl, Yang surged forward. Her lips claimed Blake's once again, driving them a step back and closer to the wall. Her tongue teased the lips pressed against hers until they parted and let her in. She felt Blake pull her into her mouth and let out a groan. Another nudge forward and Yang reached her destination. She leaned in, trapping her partner against the wall with her body.

Blake's hands buried themselves in Yang's hair to give her something to hold onto. Yang's strawberry lip gloss had tasted nearly as sweet as the kiss, but the heat of her mouth and feeling of her tongue was making her completely lose herself. She tasted like the peppermint coffee she had after breakfast: sweet and rich, with a cool bite.

Everything she wanted existed in that moment. Why had they waited so long? They could have been kissing like this for weeks, maybe even months. A cross between a moan and a cry vibrated in Blake's throat at the thought.

"Mommy, look! They're kissing!"

Yang's eyes flew open in alarm. She took a quick step back from Blake, who nearly fell from the abrupt loss of the body that had held her in place. Her hand covered her lips to protect them from the sudden chill that overcame her. Both women stared at the little girl and her mother in mortification. Yang felt heat burn her face. The tomato shade had returned.

The older woman frowned her disapproval at the two teens who had been locked in a passionate embrace.

"Yes, Ivory. Thankfully, you have a while until hormones make you forget where you are. Come along." She ushered the little girl past the teens toward the sign indicating the restroom.

Yang leaned back against the wall next to Blake. She covered her face with her hands in an attempt to hide her red face.

"Oh, my gods. We just made out in a family fun center. Blake! We made out in a family fun center! How are we going to tell the story of our first kiss without dying from embarrassment?" As she paused, a vague look of fear claimed her features. "I can't tell Ruby. She'll never let me live this down. And the little girl! Oh, no."

A peel of laughter came from the other woman. Her hands pressed back into the wall to help keep her vertical. She couldn't help it. The whole situation was so comical that she had to laugh. It was laugh or cry, and after feeling Yang's hands, lips, and tongue, she felt like electricity still surged in her veins. Crying was the last thing she wanted to do.

"It's perfect. Of course, it's embarrassing. It's us." Blake looked over to her partner and chuckled.

"We are a disaster, aren't we?" Yang dropped her hands to give Blake a lopsided grin that made her heart dance. She had to laugh at the irony of the situation. "You know, I had this all planned out for tomorrow. You couldn't have waited one more day to say the sappiest, most beautiful thing I've ever heard?" Her eyes peered up at her partner through her bangs while a smile twitched at her lips and was barely held back.

"Sappy?" Blake crossed her arms and scowled. "I pour my heart out, and you call me sappy?"

Yang released her smile and turned to her. Playful happiness bubbled forth from her as she placed her hands on the scowling woman's arms.

"It was so sappy that I should tap it to make a bucket of syrup. It was like something from one of your romance novels, but better written." Her eyes softened. She moved in and placed a soft kiss on the woman's lips. "It was beautiful, Blake. I feel it, too."

Returning the kiss tenderly, Blake let her arms fall to Yang's waist. Fingers brushed along the waistband of the jeans at Yang's hips. She leaned her forehead against Yang. Closing her eyes, Blake savored the closeness of the other woman.

"We should go before Ivory comes out with her grumpy mother." The notes of surprised laughter that fell on Yang's ears were her favorite melody. "We still have to talk to your DJ."

Blake huffed. “She’s not **my** DJ.”

Calloused fingers cupped Blake's cheek. Yang stilled to give her a somber look. "I know. I'm sorry about earlier. Sometimes…" Her voice drifted off while she searched for the right words. "I've had so many people leave me that I get scared when I let someone get close to me." She closed her eyes painfully. "First, Raven. Then mom. Even my dad did it for a while. I didn't mean to let you in, Blake. You just walked into my life one day, and before I knew it, you had your own little room in my heart."

Her eyes opened to look at Blake with resolution. "I've never had a relationship with a partner like I have with you. The way you just know what I need, in battle or in everyday life, how you roll with my jokes, how our techniques complement each other, the fact that you can literally throw me around with your ribbon," Yang grinned as if she were still amazed at the feat, "it's something that I've been so afraid of losing. I can't lose that with you. It's too precious."

"Yang," she whispered. "We won't lose that. This can only make our bond stronger. No matter what happens between us romantically, you are my partner. No one can replace you. I've had partners before, too, and I've never had such an organic relationship." Her hand cupped Yang's cheek to emphasize her words. "I meant what I said. You are my favorite person, for so many reasons. I don't let people in, either, but your light broke through my shadows, and I never want to be in the dark again."

"There you go," Yang whispered. Her eyes looked a bit misty. "More poetry." She leaned into another slow kiss, lingering for longer this time. "Are you trying to sweep me off my feet, Ms. Belladonna?"

"Is it working?" Blake kissed her again and didn't want to stop. They were both breathing heavily when their lips separated.

"You had me at 'you're delightful.'" Smiling against her lips, Yang bit Blake's lower lip lightly and tugged at it. Moaning when she gained the entrance that she had hoped for, she slid her tongue over Blake's and slowly ran the tip along its length.

Tracing a finger down the side of Yang's neck, Blake made small circles along the exposed collar bone. She tried to remind herself that they were in a **family** fun center. They shouldn't linger much longer. The longer she let this continue, then the higher the chances that they would be asked to leave before talking to Cherry about the party tomorrow. It was with regret that she gently pulled back to break the kiss. Yang leaned in to re-engage, but Blake held her off with the fingers on her shoulder.

"I never said that." She raised an eyebrow at the dazed woman.

"Huh?" Yang tried to refocus on what they had been talking about before the kiss. She had been referring to a cuddly nap they had taken a few weeks ago. "Oh. You basically did. It was quiet, but I heard you." A smug look settled on her face. Yang looked far too pleased.

"Fine. You're delightful. Now can you move your cute butt before we get kicked out for public indecency?"

"Public indecency?" Yang chortled. "Babe, if you think that was indecent, just wait until we get some alone time." She made sure to waggle her eyebrows suggestively.

Blake rolled her eyes. "Really?" Her sarcasm didn't have the same bite when she was looking at the cheery woman with undisguised adoration. "Come on, you goof." She grabbed her hand and started walking.

"You think I have a cute butt?" Yang couldn't stop grinning like an idiot. Blake pulled her along back toward the rink.

"I think we've scarred the children enough, Yang."

A harried woman pulled a little boy past them. He looked to be somewhere between seven and ten. As they passed, the two teens could clearly hear the boy repeating one word over and over: butts. Blake couldn't cover her mouth fast enough to stop the laugh from ringing out in the child's wake. The pair encountered more people as they made their way closer to the rink.

"Butts," Yang drawled, stretching the ending hard consonant out as they passed a group of eleven and twelve-year-olds.

"Oh my gods, are you twelve? Is this what twelve-year-old Yang was like?" Blake turned to laugh at how ridiculous Yang was acting.

"Twelve-year-old Yang was a terror. She'd fight you for calling her ridiculous. Thirteen-year-old Yang would think you're really pretty and daydream about you."

"Would she, now?" Blake looked delighted at the admission. Yang shrugged but didn't stop smiling.

They walked over to the half-wall that separated the rink from the sitting area. Blake waved at the DJ to get her attention. She waved back, pointed to her scroll, and waved back three fingers. Yang gave her a thumbs up.

"So when am I going to learn more about little Yang?" She turned to face Yang. A hand rested on her hip, and her head tilted in expectation. Blake's eyes danced with a playfulness that Yang knew all too well.

"You're still on that?"

"Yes. I can only imagine how adorable you were."

"Come back to Patch with me, and you can see the pictures."

Blake's eyebrows shot up. Ruby and Yang had invited her a time or two around the holidays, but she had never taken them up on it. Yang's request had been made far more casually but felt like it had a different weight.

"You want me to go home with you?" she asked quietly. Blake dropped the hand from her hip and straightened her stance. Her grin fell as she observed the other woman.

"Well, yeah. I talk about you all the time, Blake." Pink dusted along Yang's cheeks. She gave Blake a glance that hinted at an appreciation for her that was far deeper than anything she'd expected.

"You talk to your dad about me?" A small smile peeked back at Yang.

"Of course. You're my partner and my best friend. Is it weird that I'd mention you to my family?"

"No, of course not."

“Do you _not_ want to meet my dad?” Yang's smile fell for a brief moment. A strain around her eyes hinted at her previous fear.

“Do you _want_ me to meet your dad?” Blake's eyebrows raised with the question.

"Of course I do. You're a big part of my life, Blake."

"You want to take me home to meet your dad?" she whispered in disbelief.

"Yeah. I really want him to meet you." Yang couldn't help but give her a gentle smile.

They stared at each other. Blake couldn't shake her surprise.

The bow on Blake's head twitched when her cat ear turned to catch a sound. Yang broke eye contact and glanced around them.

The DJ was striding over with a smile. She looked like something out of an Atlas fashion catalog in her white linen pants and blazer. As Cherry drew closer, Yang could make out the black and red pattern on the inside of the shirt where it peeked from her collar and turned-up cuffs. She wouldn't mind wearing something like that in a different color.

"Hi, Cherry. Thanks for meeting us on such short notice." Blake flashed her an appreciative smile. She gestured at the woman next to her, who had moved close enough that she could feel the heat emanating from her in the air-conditioned building. "This is Yang. She has a DJ emergency."

"A DJ emergency? That sounds serious." Cherry turned up her smile as she reached her arm out to offer her hand to Yang. "It's nice to finally meet you, Yang. You're just as stunning as Blake described."

Yang clasped the offered hand and gave it a warm shake. Her eyebrows shot up at the comment. Releasing the woman's hand, she turned her gaze to her partner. The corner of her mouth turned up in amusement. "Stunning, huh? Have you been waxing poetic about me, my _moon_?"

Heat warmed Blake's cheeks. She shoved Yang from the side in embarrassment. If it had been anyone other than Yang, she might have pushed them over. Yang had hardly swayed from the push, but she did start laughing at the embarrassment her words caused.

"You're terrible. I don't even know why I like you," Blake muttered.

"Because I'm stunning, obviously." Yang gave Blake another grin. Turning back to Cherry, she adopted a more serious tone. "We're hosting a party at Beacon, and our DJ had to cancel due to an emergency."

"That's unfortunate. I hope they're alright. So, you're looking for another DJ?" They both nodded at her. "Tell me about this party."

"It's a beach party!" Yang nearly bounced in her excitement. "We're using one of the training rooms to simulate a beach setting. The rest of our team is managing the food and beverages. I've got a dance floor planned out. We've got speakers and a stereo system. It should run for about four hours, with an additional hour before and after for setup and tear down. This is mostly an afternoon thing, so it won't run too late. Everything should be down by about eight.

"We all need to blow off some steam and relax. There are four hundred students at the school, but I'm only expecting about half that many to pass through," Yang rambled.

"So a crowd, but not too big. What kind of music were you looking for?" Cherry shifted her hips into a more relaxed stance as she contemplated the job.

Yang glanced over to Blake, who nodded and smiled.

"Well, Blake told me about the scroll request app that you use. It sounds like a lot of fun. Can you tell me more about it?"

A knowing gleam shone in Cherry's eyes. She smiled, pulling out her scroll to show off one of her favorite parts of her work.

"Of course! My sister was inspired when on one of our vacations last year and developed it for me. It lets users submit song requests, or tag their favorite songs, and it'll send a notification if the DJ adds it to the playlist. You just download this app," she turned the screen so that Yang could see it clearly, "and put in the code that the DJ releases for the event. You can create an account, or use it anonymously. It does log scroll addresses, though, just in case some prankster wants to spam one really annoying song all night." She pulled up the master list for the roller rink to show the current playlist.

"If your song gets selected and you're logged in, then the app will also announce your user name and song title. People get a kick out of it." She pulled up another menu to show off the controls. "As the DJ, I have complete control over which songs get approved, what order they play in, cuts and fades from song to song, and I can set the length of the queue if I need to step away for a while."

"Oh my gods, look at that username! I thought this was a family-friendly establishment." Yang was far too amused to hold in her laughter while pointing at the request from "take_your_pants_off."

With a smirk, Cherry responded. "The app isn't affiliated with this business, just mine." She looked at the name Yang pointed to. "Oh, that's Mrs. Merkle," she said with a laugh.

She raised her hand and called out to an older mink Faunus as she approached on her loop. "Hi, Mrs. Merkle! I hope you're enjoying yourself!" The woman who looked to be in her early fifties waved merrily at the DJ.

"I am! Thank you for playing my favorite song, Cherry!"

Yang's jaw dropped in disbelief. “ **This** is her favorite song?” The sultry lyrics being sung to a smooth thumping beat sounded like something that should be played in a crowded club with throngs of sweaty people grinding against each other.

Delighted laughter came from Blake. It was Yang's expression that caused her to break her normally stoic look.

"What, you think that part just turns off when you get to a certain age?" She lightly elbowed her shocked partner in jest. Recovering quickly, Yang closed her mouth and reacted in her signature way.

"I'd take my pants off for you at any age," Yang quipped. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she felt blood rush to her face. They weren't alone like they usually were when she pulled out the saucy jokes.

Instead of blushing at the inappropriate joke from her partner, Blake crossed her arms and just shook her head. She had expected something along those lines to come from Yang. It had only been a matter of time.

Cherry chortled at the couple before her. "Wow, Blake. You weren't exaggerating."

Yang brought a fist up to cover her mouth as she coughed. The heat in her cheeks was not abating an inch. "About my word vomit? Yeah. Sorry about that."

"It's fine. You're incredibly entertaining. So about the party." Cherry pulled up her calendar to double-check her schedule. "I'm available for your time block. Is this volunteer, or a paid gig?"

"It's paid. I don't have a lot of wiggle room in the budget at this point, so I hope that the rate I negotiated with our previous DJ will work for you."

"Does it pay more than the Vale Family Entertainment Center?" Cherry asked with a grin.

"I'm pretty sure that it does." Yang laughed.

"Well, if you're interested in me, then I'm on board. Do you have my number?" She held up her scroll. Yang fished hers out of her pocket to transfer contact information.

"Great. I've got to get back, but it was a pleasure to meet you, Yang. Send me the deets, and I'll be there." She turned to Blake. Raising one hand to the other woman's arm, she gave it a squeeze. "It's good to see that you finally took the plunge. You look happy."

It was Blake's turn to blush lightly. She returned the contact with a shy smile. "I am. Thanks for putting up with me over all those drinks."

Cherry waved her off. "It was nothing. You just needed an ear. Alright, kids, back to making the rent money. Talk to you soon, Yang!"

They watched the woman in the fashionable suit walk back into the fray. Turning to take note of her partner's expression, Blake leaned into her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"So? What did you think of Cherry?"

Yang threw an arm around Blake's shoulders as she formed a reply. "She was cool. She seems to have a sense of humor and doesn't get shocked easily." She turned to look down at Blake. The woman looked up at her happily. Blake was attractive all of the time, but when her eyes shone with happiness, and she gave Yang that small, content smile, she didn't think she'd ever seen anything so beautiful. So many times she had looked at Blake like this and had to hold herself back from kissing her. Now she didn't have to. Leaning down slightly to reach her, Yang placed a soft, brief kiss on her lips. Blake hummed happily at her.

"So when I meet your dad…"

"Are we back to that again?"

"How are you going to introduce me?"

Yang tilted her head at Blake in a way the other woman did to her often enough. "What are you really asking?"

Blake looked at Yang with a guarded expression. She studied her eyes before answering.

"How does this change our relationship?"

She sighed at Blake. "I know that we need to talk about this, but we have a few more stops to make before we're done. Can we talk more about it tomorrow? Maybe at the dance?"

"You want to wait to talk about it at the dance?" Blake repeated slowly as if she wasn't sure she had heard her correctly.

"That's what I had planned." Yang shrugged sheepishly.

"Did you really?"

"Yeah. I had the whole day planned out." Yang looked away with a distant expression. "This changes things, but I can roll with it."

Blake looked at her silently for a long moment. She let out a sigh and leaned her forehead against Yang's.

"OK."

Yang flashed another smile in appreciation. A soft look in her gaze showed how much she knew she was asking.

"Thanks for putting up with me."

"You still owe me candy. I'm calling dinner, too. Candy and dinner. Minimum."

Yang laughed. "Alright. Candy and dinner." Blake hid her face in Yang's neck. Her voice could barely be heard since her lips were pressed into the crook of Yang's neck and shoulder.

"And a movie. In bed. With cuddling." Yang's eyebrows rose at that.

"In bed, huh? I already said I'd take my pants off for you. No need for pretense with the movie." Blake punched her lightly in the shoulder for that comment.

"Keep it up, and you'll be reading to me every night this week." That made Yang groan. Blake's romance novels would be incredibly embarrassing to read aloud, especially if Weiss and Ruby were in the room.

"You win."

Raising her head, Blake looked back at Yang with a dopey grin. "I really did." She gave her partner a sweet kiss that was soft and slow. She stepped away from their embrace and flashed her a flirtatious look before sauntering back toward the awaiting bike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These moments are when the Bees are the most endearing to me. Blake ended up being the one to push them forward, which was not my original intention at all. It just happened. I've been holding onto this chapter for many weeks and making minor edits as I felt compelled to. It's easily my favorite chapter so far, but I want to know what you think, dear readers.
> 
> Two to three chapters left!
> 
> If you want to keep up with the songs I had in mind during this chapter, here they are:  
> The argument: ”Touch The Sky” by Black Pumas.  
> The kiss: "Apocalypse" by Cigarettes After Sex  
> Mrs. Merkle's favorite song: "Hands All Over" by Maroon 5.


	9. Relax

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Come over and take a seat, Weiss.”
> 
> Weiss put her bag down next to the bench before sitting next to Ruby.
> 
> “Why are we here, Ruby?” Weiss was surprised how much better she was feeling after the walk.
> 
> Ruby handed her one of the cups with a small smile. “You looked like you could use a relaxation break.”
> 
> Curious, Weiss took a sip from the cup. It was her favorite latte: vanilla with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. “How did you get this so late at night?”
> 
> “I have my ways.” A smug look her way indicated that she would get no explanation. Ruby put her arm out on the back of the bench behind Weiss. She leaned back and looked up at the night sky. “Just enjoy the moment. Relax.”

While Blake and Yang tracked down a DJ, Ruby was eating her way through the city of Vale. Ruby had been texting Weiss all day. At each stop, she would send Weiss a series of messages. It started with the restaurant information and a list of what they told her she would be sampling. Then she snapped a picture of each dish and had Ren take a photo of her face as she ate so that Weiss could get a true Ruby Action Shot [tm]. Ruby then followed the pictures up with a description of the flavors, any feelings that the food inspired, and her personal ranking of each meal based on a list of benchmarks that Weiss could barely decipher. A final rating for the caterer was given before they moved on to the next.

Weiss responded sporadically through her day of spycraft with encouragements and criticisms about how messy Ruby was when eating anything with sauce. Though she didn’t say it outright, Ruby knew that Weiss appreciated the distraction she provided through her rolling food commentary. One of the things that Weiss wasn’t shy about complimenting her for was how plainly Ruby enjoyed eating.

Ruby was in the middle of chewing her way through the second serving of a sweet and smoky barbecue chicken with mango and pineapple salsa when she saw a message from Weiss.

 **Weiss:** We got them.

A picture uploaded to her scroll showed an angry Team CRDL walking out of an elevator before a smug Professor Goodwitch. Ruby’s eyes shot up in surprise. She reached for Ren with her sauce covered fingers but was quickly deflected by the man who had lived with Nora for most of this life.

“Ren! You’ve got to see this!”

Before Ren could respond, his own scroll chimed with a new message. He slid it out of his pocket. Ruby got to experience the rare sight of Ren with eyebrows that were significantly raised in surprise.

“Is it this?” Ren lifted his scroll to flash a similar image at Ruby.

“Huh. I’m surprised that Nora can take a picture that clear with how much she moves around.”

“It’s one of her unexpected talents.”

“So,” Ruby stopped to slather more sauce onto her chicken. “What do you think of this one?” She held up a wing before ripping half of the meat off with her teeth.

“It’s excellent.” He paused to wipe his mouth with a napkin. “The sauce, meat, and salsa work very well together to balance sweetness, heat, and acid. This has been my favorite experience today.”

Ruby licked the sauce off her lips before replying. “Wow, Ren. That’s a glowing review.”

He shrugged. “It’s delicious.” With a faint smile, he shoveled another fork full of salsa into his mouth.

“Oh! Can you take a picture of me eating? My hands are a little too sticky.”

“Sure, Ruby. Let me know when you’re ready.”

————

Weiss glanced at her scroll to find a picture sent from Ren. She opened it and immediately let out a bark of laughter.

Ruby held a barbecue wing dripping with sauce up to her face and had her lips pursed near it in a kiss. The sauce was all over her face; it coated her lips entirely, was smeared all around her mouth, over her chin, and a few streaks were on her cheeks. Her silver eyes sparkled with mischief and not a small amount of happiness.

It was the most adorable picture that Weiss had ever seen. Without hesitation, she set it as her background image and renamed it “Saucy Ruby.”

———

When Ruby finally found Weiss that evening, she was sitting at a table in the library with the party floor plan and schedule laid out before her. One arm was propped up to hold her head in her hand. Fingers massaged at her forehead as if trying to relieve pain. Ruby slid into a chair next to her partner and frowned.

“Hi, Weiss. Are you alright?”

Weiss let out a tired sigh. She had a pinched look around her eyes that hinted at how stressful her day had been. She let go of her head and straightened in her chair.

“Hello, Ruby. I’ll be fine. I’m just going over everything one last time. It’s been a long day.”

Ruby placed a hand on her partner’s shoulder with some concern. “Is there anything I can do?”

“You’ve been an immense help today, Ruby. Thank you.” Weiss placed one hand over Ruby’s on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The smile she flashed at Ruby was tired, but genuine. “You’ve done enough. Don’t worry about me.”

“Of course, I worry about you, Weiss. You’re my BFF.” Ruby’s smile warmed Weiss and made her headache lessen its vise on her.

“You’re a good friend, Ruby.” She basked in the perky girl’s presence. It was a panacea to all of the stress of the day.

Ruby looked closely at Weiss and noted the slight ease of the strain around her eyes. An idea started to form.

“Are you going to be here for a while?”

Weiss glanced at her papers and sighed. “Probably for another hour. I just want to confirm my contingency plans should I wake to another disaster tomorrow.” She frowned in distaste. If the gods had any mercy, tomorrow would not be a repeat of today.

“OK. I’ll be right back.” Ruby pulled back and stood from the chair. “Don’t go anywhere, alright?”

“Alright.” Weiss looked confused but didn’t ask what her partner had planned. She knew the girl well enough to wait and see.

Fifteen minutes later, Weiss received a message on her scroll from Ruby asking her to come to the location of coordinates, no questions asked. She promised that it would be worth cutting her planning session short.

Truth be told, Weiss’s headache was preventing her from being productive. She’d looked at the same thing over and over again, but couldn’t align her thoughts properly. Why waste time here? She rolled everything up and shoved it into her bag.

The path that Weiss followed was lined with large trees. The leaves rustled softly in a gentle breeze. It surprised her how pleasant the evening was outside. A few minutes later, she was surprised to find Ruby sitting on a bench nestled under a large tree. The bushy branches gave it a secluded feeling. She held two lidded cups in her hands. Once Weiss came into view, a smile broke over Ruby’s face that lightened the heiress’s heart once again.

“Come over and take a seat, Weiss.”

Weiss put her bag down next to the bench before sitting next to Ruby.

“Why are we here, Ruby?” Weiss was surprised how much better she was feeling after the walk.

Ruby handed her one of the cups with a small smile. “You looked like you could use a relaxation break.”

Curious, Weiss took a sip from the cup. It was her favorite latte: vanilla with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. “How did you get this so late at night?”

“I have my ways.” A smug look her way indicated that she would get no explanation. Ruby put her arm out on the back of the bench behind Weiss. She leaned back and looked up at the night sky. “Just enjoy the moment. Relax.”

When Weiss leaned back and looked up with Ruby, she was surprised to find the perfect clearing in the trees to see a bright tapestry of stars. The sky was clear, and the moon was shining. It was a beautiful night. The quiet of the area settled in. The soft sounds of the native wildlife washed over her. The caffeine and stillness eased the tension in her shoulders enough for Weiss to slump just enough toward Ruby that she could place her head on the girl's shoulder.

Ruby’s plan seemed to be working. She wrapped her arm around Weiss’s shoulders to draw her in close. The woman sighed softly when she was pulled into Ruby’s side. They sat for a while, enjoying the sound of the insects singing into the night, the stars, and the warmth of each other. Ruby sipped at her hot chocolate. She felt content.

When Ruby’s cup was nearly drained, she glanced at the head on her shoulder. Weiss’ s eyes were closed, and her breathing had slowed. Ruby couldn’t help but smile. Weiss looked so unguarded when she slept. The time they had spent in the quiet clearing had erased the lines of tension from Weiss’s face. She still looked tired, but there was a vulnerability in her face that made Ruby protective of her ornery partner. 

She threw herself into everything with such force that Weiss frequently overextended herself. Over time, Weiss grew to accept small kindnesses from Ruby, like an unexpected coffee, or a forced break. The fact that she had accepted a random meeting like this with no questions or protest was a testament to how tired she really was. Ruby pulled the empty cup from her hand before it could fall from her rapidly loosening grip.

“Weiss?” Ruby bent her head down to whisper to the woman. Her nose nuzzled Weiss’s cheek. Her partner used a subtle perfume that she was sure was disgustingly expensive. It was a lovely smell. She moved her lips closer to Weiss’s ear. “Hey, Weiss? We should get you to bed.”

An unhappy groan came from the sleeping woman. She pushed her face into Ruby’s neck. Her arms reached around Ruby’s waist to lock her into place. Ruby barely suppressed a chuckle. She was extremely amused by her partner’s reaction.

“Weiss?”

“Five more minutes,” came the mumbled reply. Weiss tightened her hold on Ruby.

A few notes of laughter bubbled from Ruby. She couldn’t help it. Weiss was adorable. She’d never be like this when awake. Or would she? The Ice Queen had thawed considerably toward her, especially over the last semester. She had been both touch-starved and sensitive about her personal space. Even early on, the heiress would cling to Ruby while telling her to let her go. Maybe she had wanted to cuddle but hadn’t been able to give in to the impulse.

Weiss could be so complicated. Ruby just wanted to help her let go and have fun. They were too young to get so caught up in pretense.

“OK. But only because you’re too cute to move.” She placed a kiss on the girl’s head and then rested her cheek against Weiss’s. Ruby would be as patient with her as she needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, dear readers. My free time shrank significantly over the last couple of weeks. We're in the home stretch! 1-2 more chapters and this will be done (and the longest fic that I have ever written). I hope that you enjoy soft White Rose.
> 
> My brain has already moved onto another story where they are all in a band. Gods help me. The playlist keeps growing.


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